Challenge

To Improve the outdoors experience on the University of Alberta campus during winter months.

Methods

• Secondary Research
  
• Literature review
  
• Primary Research
  
• Stakeholder Interviews
• Online Surveys

Outcome

A concept design for the LiveWell Campus Archway, a meeting space that promotes enjoyment of the outdoors regardless of the season.

My Role

Project lead for primary and secondary research, client presentations, as well as concept design.

Collaborators

Bella Gustin and Crystal Leung

Introduction

The concept for the Livewell Campus Archway was the product of a year-long collaboration with LiveWell, a program team functioning under the faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation at the University of Alberta.

LiveWell originally sought to promote the increase of outdoor physical activity on the university campus during winter months. During the scoping process of the project it became evident that we needed to create a smaller shift in the campus dweller attitudes towards outdoor winter experience on the University of Alberta grounds.

Approach

We used two University of Alberta grounds development strategy documents from the University of Alberta’s Office of the University Architect to shape our project. These were namely:

• The 89 Avenue Student’s Boulevard Multi-Modal Transportation, Concept Design and Implementation Strategy and;
• The North Campus Open Space Plan (Section 3, “The Campus Landscape”—Issues and Opportunities and Section 4, “The Future Campus Landscape”

We used these two documents to, respectively, understand future changes to the University of Alberta’s main southern street (89 Ave) and to choose a justified site for our design concept.

Taken from the 89 Avenue Student’s Boulevard Multi-Modal Transportation, Concept Design and Implementation Strategy

Main Insights from the 89 Ave Strategy

In the image below, “Area C: Tree Lined Students’ Boulevard,” the plan addresses the future development of Celebration Plaza, located at the south end of Main Quad (marked “1” in the diagram below). We assessed Celebration Plaza to be an ideal space to locate our intervention because of this repurposing of space through the removal of the existing Administration Building. This part of the document expresses the interest in “[creating] a new interface with the Quad, anticipating the future removal of the Administration Building” “To create a focal point of social activity by introducing a large seating feature in Celebration Plaza”

The University of Alberta Office of the Architect “[contemplated] the removal of the existing Administration Building. The intent of this space is to create a view corridor at the south end of the space into the Main Quad. The Plaza will act as a central gathering node, and will create a grand entrance into the historic heart of the North Campus from the 114 Street corridor.”

Diagram of Area ‘C’ taken from the 89 Avenue Student’s Boulevard Multi-Modal Transportation, Concept Design and Implementation Strategy.

Because of our close consideration of this part of the strategy document, we decided to synthesize our original given research question: “How might we promote outdoor physical activity on campus during winter?” into:

“How might we repurpose outdoor spaces on campus to facilitate positive recreational experiences outdoors in winter?”

Reframed Objectives

After changing our research question we decided that the following would be our main objectives for the project. These objectives are based on the research that was performed during the first term around placemaking, active transportation, and winter city strategies from northern municipalities.

• Enhance the landscape for all four seasons, particularly the winter months which align with the academic year.
• Create pride and ownership of open space for the University and surrounding community. 
• Create a new interface with Main Quad, anticipating the future removal of the Administration Building.
Create a focal point of social activity by introducing a large seating feature in Celebration Plaza

Design Intervention

The North Campus Archway
The North Campus Archway is a structure that provides a well lit, inviting social space. It is a sheltered area that integrates a large transverse pathway. The main structures are open at each end providing a new interface to quad that embraces permeability, allowing campus-dwellers to pass through in any direction they wish. The Archway is divided in two sections, creating a large walkway at its centre.

Interior

The interior of the structure is filled with warm yellow light from the pendant light fixtures that flow along the structure’s roof. The lights are also suspended between both halves of the Archway, providing some exterior lighting along the large walkway. The lights remain on while it is dark out and provide the sense of warmth and safety. Since the Archway has large windows along the south-facing side of its structure, the lights can be seen best when entering campus from 114 street or if passing through 89 Avenue on foot. 

North Facing Side

On the north-facing side of the Archway, three levels of bleachers project outwards, facing Main Quad. The surfaces of the benches are covered by red cedar panelling, providing a more cold-friendly surface. On each side of the archway, about 25 people are able to sit together on the bleachers, providing space for groups of different numbers to congregate and enjoy the space together.


The Cascade See-Saw

The Cascade See-saw encourages active play and sociability by inviting campus dwellers to sit on each of its ends, and take turns pushing their feet off the ground to lift their side into the air. The see-saw’s roof not only provides seat coverage from the elements, but is meant to manage snow build-up in an amusing way. The snow cascades off of the roof when the see-saw leans to one side or the other.


The Twilight Bench
The Twilight Bench is a seating surface made from a concrete base with red cedar paneling along the top seating surface. Cedar is extremely weather resistant and is used in many outdoor applications, allowing the bench to withstand all seasons. The bench mimics the structural curve and wooden beams of the Archway. Segments of the bench are sectioned by wooden extrusions which house the light source.

Reflection

This project married months of research on placemaking, active play, and winter-city strategy with the knowledge and constraints presented by the University of Alberta’s 89 Avenue Student’s Boulevard Multi-Modal Transportation, Concept Design and Implementation Strategy and the North Campus Open Space Plan. Although it was not chosen as the model for future development of LiveWell’s goal it was a phenomenal opportunity to learn about designing within a development strategy for an organization as large and complex as the University of Alberta.

“Open spaces serve a range of functions for campus users – areas to gather, recreate, rest, converse, or for quiet contemplation...  Linkages between spaces and proper integration with surrounding buildings are critical to their success.”

North Campus Open Space Plan. PDF. Edmonton: University of Alberta, June 2014. 92.