Design for UA Science and Engineering Complex Takes National Award

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.  — The University of Alabama Campus Master Plan has received the 2009 Merit Award from the Society for College and University Planning for excellence in planning for a district or campus component.

The honor recognizes work done by UA with HOK San Francisco to plan the campus’s new Science and Engineering Complex that includes Shelby Hall and some 900,000 square feet of new, interdisciplinary science and engineering classrooms, auditoriums, laboratories and support facilities.

“It is an honor to be recognized by this prestigious group,” says Dan Wolfe, UA planner and designer who worked on the project. “While HOK was the team leader for this segment of the Campus Master Plan, there was a great deal of collaboration from many people who worked through a marathon design charrette to conceive and craft the final plan. This award is certainly shared by the entire design team who participated in that process.”

Shelby Hall was designed to anchor the complex with a new, central academic quadrangle, which is at the heart of the precinct. The buildings were designed to create open space and pedestrian connections to promote a campus atmosphere while maintaining UA’s historic character. Shelby Hall was opened in the fall of 2004; Phase II will open this year for fall semester classes, and Phase III of the plan will be presented to the UA Board of Trustees at their June meeting.

University leaders and the design team focused on key issues framing the process of designing Shelby Hall and the new Science and Engineering Complex. Academic issues included: creating 900,000-square-feet of new state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities; designing facilities that promote an integrated curriculum, pioneering research and interdisciplinary collaboration; addressing the academic program requirements to meet current and projected needs; and, cultivating a first-rate learning environment that will attract, train and graduate top students.

Campus planning and architecture issues were melded with the academic priorities to create the award-winning plan. The plan also improved the flow of traffic for the new campus transit system, Crimson Ride.

Winning entries will appear on SCUP’s Web site, in the October issue of Planning for Higher Education and in the Tribute to Excellence paper. In addition, the award will be presented at the annual International Conference and Idea Marketplace in Portland, Ore., July 18-22.

This spring, the UA Campus Master Plan and Design Guide was also recognized by the Alabama Chapter of the American Planning Association with the Franklin M. Setzer Outstanding Urban Design Award for 2009. The award was given for the top project for which design is an integral part of the planning process and is a major concern of the built environment.