Phase II: North Campus
Greening the Campus
Landscape Principles
- Enrich the university’s mission and Amherst’s natural assets through productive uses of the landscape.
- Create a beltway park system for year-round outdoor recreation and education opportunities for UB and the community.
- Design for outdoor comfort by moderating harsh environmental factors such as high winds, blowing snow and ice-prone deep shade areas.
- Utilize ecosystem services such as stormwater management, water filtration, carbon sequestration and food and energy production as civic spaces.
Research & Productive Landscape
A landscape devoted to research-oriented sustainability could be a highly visible gesture of environmental stewardship.
Energy production (e.g., biofuels of switchgrass & willow), food production and recycling/composting can make UB emblematic of a self-reliant and sustainable university.
Hands-on teaching and ‘real-world’ field work in the landscape could advance the University’s science of agronomy and applied ecology.
A research-oriented landscape could activate a buffer zone that currently feels disconnected from the rest of the campus.
Lake LaSalle & Beltway / Recreation Corridors
A green beltway surrounding the campus can act as an organizational and connective element for North Campus.
Recreation corridors and paths can create alternative ways to traverse the campus and connect the various residential communities.
Lake LaSalle’s eco-system could be restored and could host waterfront amenities such as waterfront walks, pier walks and boat launches.
Islands could enhance the ecological and recreational value of the lake. Deeper waters enable fishing and a diverse ecosystem, and the islands frame views and provide recreational points on the water.
Outdoor Comfort: Wind & Sun
The North Campus has an abundance of land to consider.
While comfort from wind and sun may not be acheived for the whole campus (or on the macro-scale), concentrated zones of activity can be addressed. These areas people inhabit such as the spine and the lake front can be considered as micro-climates.
- Wind Valves: Evenly spaced windbreaks attentuate velocity.
- Sun-Oriented Plazas: Locate cafes, seating areas on north side of plaza.
- Raised Planters: Protection from de-icing salts gives trees a better chance to survive.