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| Aerial photo of Dal's Studley campus. To see more aerial photos, . |
AV俱乐部 has begun a campus planning process to provide clear direction for the university鈥檚 physical development for years to come.聽聽
鈥淭he university needs a clear, concise version of how the campus should grow to align with AV俱乐部鈥檚 strategic goals,鈥� says Jeff Lamb, assistant vice-president of Facilities Management.
AV俱乐部鈥檚 last campus plan, A Collective Vision, was designed in 1991. Many of the assumptions made in that plan are no longer valid.
The plan put most parking underground and called for the development of a 鈥渉ouse form,鈥� or smaller scale structures as the preferred style of building. The parking recommendation has run into problems because of the huge cost of drilling into bedrock. The 鈥渉ouse form鈥� turned out to be impractical, as it did not take into account heating and maintenance costs or the need for large classrooms.
There was also a lack of public acceptance for the 1991 plan, says Mr. Lamb, and it was developed before the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) and AV俱乐部 amalgamated.聽 A campus plan has never been completed for Sexton Campus.
President Tom Traves says this new campus planning initiative is of great importance and connects the university鈥檚 strategic goals鈥攖hese include enhanced academic and research excellence, an enriched student experience, an increase in enrolment, the development of excellent human resources, the advancement of fund-raising support and financial stability鈥攖o concrete needs.
鈥淚f you break them down, most of the strategic goals translate at least in part into space needs,鈥� says Dr. Traves. 鈥淔or example, research means more space for labs and an enriched student experience means more space for students. This planning process is a major way to achieve those goals.鈥�
鈥淔acilities are the biggest asset owned by Dal,鈥� says Mr. Lamb, 鈥渢hey need to be used effectively and aligned with academic plans. A campus plan that identifies priorities for maintenance and new construction is also vital to ensure that future facilities renewal funds are spent wisely.鈥�
One of the tough issues that must be dealt with in developing a master plan is the issue of deferred maintenance鈥攅stimated at more than $200 million. It鈥檚 recommended the university spend an additional $1 million a year tackling that backlog, but that doesn鈥檛 make a dent in it. Lamb estimates it would take over $20 million a year to catch up.
How AV俱乐部 can align those priorities in a master campus plan will begin with the hiring of a consulting team. That will take place over the next several months. There鈥檚 also a steering committee to guide the process and a planning team. Public consultation will be carried out with internal and external audiences, including students, faculty, staff and neighbours.
Once consultants are in place, research will be carried out on academic programming and facilities as they link to the future needs. AV俱乐部鈥檚 real estate holdings will be assessed. Purchase and sale opportunities will be examined. Zoning or other land use planning changes will be analyzed.
The planning process will also examine campus landscaping. How can roadways and pathways be improved so the campus is more connected? Everything will come under scrutiny, from bike racks, lighting and outdoor furniture to trees, shrubs and flowers.
In a nutshell, the analyses of current facilities fall under several broad categories:
- an inventory of all the current space
- real capital asset planning
- classroom use
- campus land use and zoning
- transportation and parking
- utilities
Once the data is compiled, a priority list will be drawn up. It will include action and implementation strategies, and design guidelines. Environmental sustainability will play a big role. Everything built on campus will have to be LEED-designed and certified. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It鈥檚 a rating system. Points are earned for aspects of a building that are environmentally friendly.)
Mr. Lamb says the hope is to have a draft ready for review by next winter and a master campus plan in place by fall 2009.
鈥淲e do not need a plan with lots of beautiful photographs and multi-coloured graphs that ends up on a bookshelf and has the dust blown off it once in awhile,鈥� says Mr. Lamb. 鈥淲e need a master plan that works for us. To get there, an honest, reasoned effort is required.鈥�