THE WALK:
A PROPOSED DESIGN FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE BROWN UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS JOINING LINCOLN FIELD AND PEMBROKE GREEN
27 May 2004
R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
THE WALK:
A PROPOSED DESIGN FOR THE EXTENSION OF THE BROWN UNIVERSITY
CAMPUS JOINING LINCOLN FIELD AND PEMBROKE GREEN
27 May 2004
R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 6
The Site Today 8
Project Description 10
Landscapes
Landscape Design Principles 14
The Walk Landscape 17
Campus Boundaries 18
Design Guidelines 19
Paving 20
Street Crossing Concepts 21
Street Furniture 22
Planting 23
Landscape Elements 24
Building Sites
Site 1 26
Site 2 28
Site 3 30
Site 3 - J.W.Wilson 32
Utility Infrastructure 34
Appendix
Landscape Analysis 35
INTRODUCTION & SUMMARY
The objective of the Strategic Physical Planning process at landscapes and buildings are shown here. These designs
Brown was the development of a framework to guide are, in turn, a framework for further design studies.
physical planning at Brown in both the short and long term. Landscape elements, including paving, boundary fences
In the short term the framework outlined opportunities for and gates, and plant materials are shown to indicate
development of campus spaces and buildings to support design intent. Implicit in these drawings are design
the goals of the Academic Enrichment Initiatives over the guidelines for scale and massing of buildings, and
next ten to fifteen years. Planning Principles developed as a possible academic programs that might be contained
result of this work are: within them. Ongoing discussions of the need for, and
nature of design guidelines at Brown will further inform
1.0 Develop circulation infrastructure to foster
these plans as they are developed, and eventually turned
community, unify and enhance the campus and
over to selected architects for individual building designs.
its surroundings;
2.0 Consolidate the core; The work included here was developed in collaboration
3.0 Move beyond College Hill. with Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture
LLC, Georges Jacquemart of Buckhurst Fish &
The three planning principles describe a strategy for
Jacquemart, Inc., and Don Patterson of Hanscomb Faithful
enhancing the campus environment, for making more
& Gould Cost Estimating.
effective use of existing campus assets, and for meeting
short and intermediate term space needs through
expansion of facilities on campus and selected acquisitions
Frances Halsband, FAIA
off campus.
R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects
An important element included in the plan was the
recommendation for the design of a new walk linking the
Brown campus at Lincoln Field with the former Pembroke
Campus, connecting two major activity centers of the
campus. The Walk was identified as an opportunity for the
creation of a designed outdoor environment, framed by
new academic buildings.
With the endorsement of the Plan by the corporation in
October 2003, we immediately began more detailed
studies of The Walk area.
This report summarizes the design direction for The Walk
developed in consultation with the Walk Advisory
Committee, Campus Planning Advisory Board, and the
Facilities and Design Committee of the Corporation. Design
alternatives were presented and evaluated at meetings in
Fall and Winter 2003. The selected schemes for
The Walk as shown in Strategic
Framework Plan, October 2003
6 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
Churchill
House
Site 1
Site 3
J.W.Wilson
Site 2
Aerial view of The Walk
7
THE SITE TODAY
These photographs trace the proposed location of The
Walk, moving from south to north.
1-Looking north from Lincoln Field, the tower of Bio Med
Grimshaw Guderwicz is a visible destination and
landmark. With the completion of the Life Sciences
Building, another tower will frame the eastern edge of The
Walk at Olive Street.
2-Moving north, the 45 foot wide axis envisioned by the
1 2
Olmsted Brothers in 1901 has been obscured by the
swimming pool, now the Ashamu dance studio, and EEB
greenhouses. The eastern edge of The Walk is bounded by
Metcalf Research Lab, an unlovely addition to the Metcalf
research complex.
3-Crossing Waterman Street, The Walk traverses a chaotic
collection of parking lots. Further north, Churchill flanks The
Walk. Fire exits from the Rites and Reason theater connect
to grade. To the west the U.E.L is visible, a remodeled
carriage house with its greenhouse addition and small
garden to the north. 3 4
4-The remnant of Fones Alley is visible to the east, in two
sidewalks flanking the bus tunnel. To the west, the trace of
the Alley disappears in the blank wall of J.W. Wilson.
5-Crossing Angell Street, the site to the east includes the
Shell station and the Brown Office Building. To the west,
Peter Greene House and Sharpe House accommodate the
History Department. Further west, a parking lot fronts on
Brown Street, across from the new Hillel House. Crossing
Olive Street, The Walk will be bounded by the new Life
Science building to the east, and the existing arcade of Bio 5 6
Med Grimshaw Guderwicz to the west.
6-Crossing Meeting Street, The Walk opens directly into a
service drive for the Gate snack bar at Alumnae Hall, an
alley of dumpsters, with the main entrance to the
Pembroke Campus to the west.
8 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
THE SITE TODAY
2
1
3
4
5 4
8
6 7 9
200ft
11 12
Building Key 17
1 Emery Hall 13
2 Alumnae Hall
3 Pembroke Hall 10
4 Life Sciences
5 Bio-Med Grimshaw
6 Sharpe House 14 15 16
7 Peter Green House
8 Gas Station
9 Brown Office Building
10 J Walter Wilson
11 Angell Street 127 19
12 Angell Street 129 18
13 Urban Environmental Lab
14 Walter Hall
15 Norwood House 20
16 Waterman Street 086 22
17 Churchill House 21
18 Hunter Lab
19 Plant Environmental Center
20 Medical Research Lab
21 Lyman Hall
22 Ashamu Dance Theater
Existing Site Plan
9
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Walk design is a proposal for transforming two blocks to provide the greatest flexibility of anticipated uses. We new steps entering the Pembroke Green.
of random buildings and parking lots into a new campus note, however, that the wide floor plates required for
The Walk and its extensions link two campuses and their
joining the Brown and Pembroke campuses, and modern wet lab buildings cannot be accommodated on
surrounding communities.
incorporating a new pedestrian way extending from these sites. The new buildings are described as five stories
Lincoln Field through the new campus, to Pembroke and above grade, and one basement, in order to provide a
Cushing Street. At the heart of the project is a chain of framework for estimating size and cost. As uses are
green spaces between Waterman and Angell Streets. determined for each building, and individual designs are
These open greens of varying width and character are a developed by selected architects, we expect that there will
setting for three new academic buildings and several be variations within this framework. We propose that
renovated existing buildings which will contribute to the life several buildings within The Walk site be retained and
of this new campus environment. adaptively reused. Peter Green is moved to a new site on
Brown Street, a transitional zone between neighborhood
The Walk is a network of new paths and new lines of
and campus, J.W.Wilson, and Walter Hall are valuable
circulation. The new north south path will provide a direct
containers for current programs, but we can envision a
connection to Lincoln Green, Life Sciences and Pembroke.
time when these too might be replaced. No new
The reopening of Fones Alley provides for diagonal
development is shown on the sites directly east of the Walk
shortcuts from Faunce Arch through to Churchill, and the
surrounding Fones Alley and extending to Thayer. There
creation of new walks on the Pembroke Campus will
are several properties in these areas which are not owned
provide several alternative lines of movement, strengthen
by Brown, and the immediate future of these sites cannot
the fabric of the campus, and encourage interaction. The
be determined.
Walk is a clearly defined environment, a Place that is
Brown, separate from the streets and walks of the Landscapes at the north and south of The Walk are
surrounding city, yet woven into the larger fabric. redesigned to connect to the main way. Both of these sites
might be developed in later phases of work, or in relation to
The Walk is a series of varied landscapes with lines of
adaptive resuse of adjacent buildings. The area west of
trees, open greens, and shaded gathering spaces near
Metcalf is shown as a landscaped green, with Ashamu and
building entrances.
the EEB greenhouses removed. This green would be a
Finally, The Walk is a setting for three new buildings with a welcome forecourt for a newly renovated Metcalf, with a
projected total square footage of 266,400, an opportunity new entrance on The Walk. At the north, the landscaped
to strengthen the core campus by increasing density space between Life Sciences and Bio Med Grimshaw
within appropriate limits of size and scale. These buildings Guderwicz is being designed as a continuation of The
are envisioned with ground floor spaces which invite Walk, with paving, landscaping and street furniture as
shared uses; auditoria, lecture halls, meeting spaces, envisioned for the whole. The Walk crosses Meeting Street
informal lounges, study space and cafes. Each building is and the entry to the Pembroke Campus is envisioned as a
sited to open on to The Walk and on to the adjoining new wide lawn, with a path leading north through the
streets, to further encourage interaction and public use. space between Alumnae Hall and Emery, all the way to
Building massing is developed to provide the maximum New Pembroke and Cushing Street, and an arced path
light and view for occupants, and floor plates are designed moving west towards the new Pembroke Tribute and the
10 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
200ft
The Walk
11
LANDSCAPES
13
LANDSCAPE DESIGN PRINCIPLES
The design approach to the new Walk landscape grew out of
an understanding of the underlying patterns of the existing
campus gained through careful analysis. This understanding
enables the new work to be approached as a logical
extension of the historic campus core rather than a
reinvention of the "concept of campus".
Brown's central campus is an excellent example of classic
American campus planning with buildings organized around
central open spaces. Over time, the city street grid has been
consolidated into larger blocks enabling collections of
buildings to be grouped around internal open spaces
uninterrupted by public streets. The historic campus is also
characterized by well defined edges.
The Pembroke Campus, although less clearly executed, is
Existing Major Open Spaces Existing Campus Boundaries
based on the same concept. The blocks between the main
campus and Pembroke, however are currently a collection of
disparate buildings placed on city streets with no campus
related organization. The new Walk reorganizes these blocks
with a new internal sequence of landscaped open spaces
creating a new linking campus.
The following design principles define the primary aims of the
new Walk landscape.
1. Approach the The Walk as a linking campus with
buildings organized around open spaces.
2. Encourage larger block sizes, appropriately sized, that
enable the creation of internal open spaces free from
vehicles.
3. Encourage a more defined, but highly permeable, campus
boundary around the project site.
Existing Block Pattern
14 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
LANDSCAPE DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Master Plan recommendations also include design
guidelines for site furnishings. The straight-forward simplicity
of fences, planting and furniture shown in this historic photo
of the campus from 1880 was inspirational to our approach
toward the design of the site furnishings for the new campus.
The following aims were primary to the design of the site
furnishings.
4. Design a system of site furnishings that minimizes spatial
and visual disruption. A system of elements allowing
materials to evolve and adapt to particular situations.
5. Improve campus accessibility without obtrusive ramp
systems.
6. Collect service access into common service areas to
minimize impact on public spaces.
15
3
2
1
16 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
THE WALK LANDSCAPE
The Walk is composed of a chain of open spaces walk as it passes through the space.
stretching from Lincoln Field to the Pembroke
Angell Street passes through as a public street. New
Campus. A long paved path extends through this
gates built on each side of the street link the open
series of open spaces from Lincoln Field, through
spaces and mark the crosswalk.
the gap between the new Life Sciences Building and
Bio Med Grimshaw Guderwicz, to the north side of 3. The third open space north of Angell Street
Meeting Street. Open spaces are oriented differently focuses on an elliptical lawn bordered by a ring of
along the walk creating a rich sequence of flowering trees. Four university buildings open onto
transforming spaces as one walks its length. An this space that, by nature of its shape, proportions,
arcing path sweeps through the progression of and location central to the chain, becomes the
greens accommodating several pedestrian lines of primary space of the series.
movement and enlivening the spaces. Landscapes
The Walk continues on through the slot between the
are kept elemental, composed of flat lawns, tree
new Life Sciences Building and the Grimshaw-
rows and level beds of ground cover. Shrub
Guderwicz Bio Medical Building to another set of View from new college green
plantings are avoided in the main spaces.
gates marking the Meeting Street crossing. Once (Space 2)
Continuous tree canopies and shrub plantings are
across the street, a sloping green running east/west
used at secondary side spaces to further
signals the arrival at the Pembroke Campus. This
accentuate the open greens.
space redirects movement to the west focusing on
1. The first green is a linear open space with a the new Pembroke Tribute at its western end
central lawn lined by canopy trees on each side. It adjacent to Pembroke Hall. At the monument, one is
leads up from Lincoln Field to a new gate at reoriented north into the existing Pembroke Quad. A
Waterman Street. This green forms the main link to long sloping walk and short ramp provide
the principle east west axis of the historic central handicapped access to the upper Pembroke green
campus. At Lincoln field it creates a sweeping view making the entire length of The Walk accessible.
up to new gates at Waterman Street, announcing
The master plan shows enhanced circulation
the new north south axis of The Walk. Flowering
through the Pembroke Campus. The service
trees at the north end of the green deflect attention
passage between Alumni Hall and Emery Hall falls
away from the non-university owned house on
directly on the line of the new Walk at its northern
Waterman Street toward the new gate and
end and is to be redesigned to provide a better and
Waterman Street crossing.
more direct path through to New Pembroke. The
2. A second similar green stretches from a new gate plan also shows the removal of the parking lot
at Waterman Street to another at Angell Street. It is between New Pembroke and Champlin Hall with a
also composed of a central lawn lined by canopy new central green serving the buildings in this area.
trees. This green opens to the west from the main
walk, as the previous green opened to the east,
creating variety through the placement of the main
View from Lincoln Field
(Space 1)
17
CAMPUS BOUNDARIES
New campus boundaries are established around the new
linking campus, connecting the existing boundaries of the
main campus to the boundaries around the former
Pembroke Campus.
Both Meeting Street and Angell Street pass through as
public streets resulting in a three part new campus. In this
drawing, the campus boundaries are demarcated on each
side of Angel and Meeting Streets with aligned gates to
encourage and direct pedestrian movement. Olive Street is
closed as a public thoroughfare and becomes service
access. The buildings shown in yellow are not owned by
the university and therefore the campus boundary inflects
around them.
The boundaries are marked by fences, walls, hedges or
simply gate and corner posts at key locations. The gates
establish a permeable edge with a hierarchy of access
points. Lights, trash receptacles and benches are grouped
at gates to simplify the greens by eliminating distracting site
furniture.
North
18 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
DESIGN GUIDELINES
The Walk design also includes establishing
design guidelines for the design of landscape
elements within the new linking campus. Rather
than dictating specific materials and elements,
our approach was to outline a flexible system
that would allow future designers the opportunity
to respond to the specifics of their project and
site while blending with previous segments. The
aim is to encourage the continuation of the rich
variation currently found on the Brown Campus.
The system of site furnishings is simplified. Site
elements are eliminated where possible.
Benches, trash receptacles, emergency phones
and bicycle racks are grouped near gates and
buildings to keep greens clear and open.
Benches and trash receptacles are treated as low
site walls to minimize their presence.
GATES
These concepts would extend to the gates as
well. Campus gates might be designed by the
landscape architect of the open space, by the
architect of an adjacent building or as an
independent art piece by an artist. Additional
layers of meaning would be encouraged with the
addition of historical plaques and donor
information.
19
DESIGN GUIDELINES
Paving
These diagrams show the paving system devised for the
main walkway extending some 800 feet. The design intent
is for the path to change and evolve as it travels. These
patterns show some of the possibilities afforded by the
system. The path has a central area of poured in place
concrete paving which is scored with a unifying two foot by
four foot running bond pattern. The walk is edged with a
zone of small unit pavers which allow the irregularities of
drains and grading transitions to be easily accommodated.
This more textured edge will encourage walking on the
smoother central concrete zone helping control pedestrian
wear at the lawn corners.
The second set of drawings show how transverse paths
might be accommodated and how the width and pattern of
the walk might transition. The secondary walks are shown in
a variety of configurations and scoring patterns. These
walks also have a primary walking surface of poured
concrete with walks of greater significance having unit paver
edging.
Main Walkway Paving System
Transverse Path and Walk Transitions
20 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
DESIGN GUIDELINES
Brown Walk Street Crossing Concepts
1. Waterman Street and Angell Street
These two streets are collectors in the City's street system.
To improve the pedestrian crossing conditions for these two
streets at the new Brown walk, as well as at the intersection
of Waterman and Brown Street, we recommend that slightly
raised pedestrian crossings and wider sidewalks which
narrow the driving lanes be installed. The raised crossings
(maybe 1 or 2 inches above the existing pavement) would be
1
combined with the special pavement pattern proposed by
the landscape architects. The widened sidewalks would be
aligned with the parking lane, on the south side of Waterman,
and the north side of Angell Street. It is recommended that
the widened sidewalks extend for at least 10 feet upstream
to improve sight distances of the pedestrians crossing in the
crosswalks. The crosswalk areas should be well lit. Bollards
should be installed to prevent vehicles from driving onto the
sidewalk and using the low curbs for parking or standing
purposes.
2. Olive Street
For the crossing of Olive Street we recommend a mid-block
closure with driveway cuts in the middle of the crossing for
emergency and maintenance access purposes. At either 2
end of Olive Street there would be a "DEAD END" sign.
Vehicles would only enter for parking or loading purposes.
The stubs on either side would be two-way and could be
redesigned as needed, as long as the loading and unloading
maneuvers can be accommodated.
3. Meeting Street
Meeting Street is a local street carrying less 1,400 vehicles
per day. A fully raised pedestrian crossing (Speed hump)
would be appropriate. The crossing could thus be raised to
the sidewalk level (maybe 6" high) or to a speed hump level
(4" high). The speed hump will need to be signed (vertical
sign and pavement marking) to alert drivers. 3
21
DESIGN GUIDELINES
Furniture
Site furnishings are envisioned as a flexible system that can
adapt to the various needs of development over time while
minimizing spatial and visual disruption. To this end
unnecessary site furniture is eliminated and elements are
multi-functioning wherever possible. Elements are
concentrated in constellations at the edges leaving the
center of open spaces clearer.
To merge with the landscape, benches are articulated as
concrete site walls with stone surfaces applied to invite
touch. To better organize and simplify refuse collection,
inexpensive trash and recycling cans are grouped in metal
surrounds integrated with the site wall system. This
approach will also be applied to emergency phones,
bicycle racks, posting boards and information signage.
22 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
DESIGN GUIDELINES
Planting
Planting is kept simple and used to clarify landscape
spaces. Spaces are either canopied or left open in relation
to their role in the spatial sequence of the campus. Tree
rows define the boundaries of open spaces and encourage
directional movement. Rather than using lawn as the norm,
lawns are treated as defined panels with the border areas
and the irregular zones adjacent to buildings filled with even
panels of mixed groundcovers. This approach reduces
maintenance and increases water infiltration. Shrubs are
used on a limited basis in clear groupings that accentuate
key transitions between spaces and are avoided in the main
spaces where they obscure the space defining walls of the
architecture.
Native plants are used whenever possible since their forms
are usually more appropriate to the regional landscape and
their hardiness more suited to the climate.
Particular consideration has been given to street tree
plantings. The public streets that pass through the new
linking campus zone are planted with closely spaced
London Planetrees that will, in time, form a grand arching
canopy over the street creating a campus zone of a
particular character that is clearly recognizable to passing
drivers. Street trees on the east and west edges of the new
campus are normally spaced Oaks similar in character to
the trees on the surrounding neighborhood streets.
23
DESIGN GUIDELINES
Landscape Elements
This drawing shows how the combination of site elements
might evolve to accommodate various needs and site
conditions as along the walk while maintaining a highly
integrated composition. The drawing shows the main walk
bordered by trees in a granite set panel, a concrete cross
path with paver edges, along bench leading to a major gate
that incorporates a second bench and trash recepticals.
Stone paving at the gate transitions to concrete and
colored pavers marking a raised pedestrian street crossing.
24 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
BUILDING SITES
25
BUILDING SITES: SITE 1
A new Academic building forms the eastern edge of the
landscaped Oval, occupying the site bounded by the
Oval, Olive Street, the Brown Office Building, and Angell
Street. The structure is immediately adjacent to the Brown
Office Building. There is a possibility of combining the floor
plates of the two buildings to provide for program flexibility
and to realize economies of infrastructure and shared
services.
The ground floor plan illustrates a sloped floor auditorium of
up to 350 seats, and several additional shared instructional
spaces. These public spaces could open onto an arcade,
or shaded gardens in the intimate spaces off the Oval.
Building service would be from Olive Street. It would be
desirable to close Olive Street to through traffic, and
maintain it as service access at some time in the future.
The upper floors can be configured to accommodate
academic offices or dry laboratory spaces. The typical
office floor plan is shown with offices looking out over the
Oval, to the north and south, and the core located facing
into the service alley to the east. The laboratory floor plan
illustrates a continuous band of research spaces with
adjoining offices. The size and configuration of the floor
lends itself to dry labs and computer labs, but cannot easily
accommodate wet labs with major infrastructure
requirements. The building section shows a tall ground
floor space, appropriately scaled for public uses, and four
upper floors of approximately 13’-6” floor to floor, sufficient
to accommodate modern office uses. The overall height of
the building is 75 feet, as permitted by the current zoning.
The floor plate is 9,695 square feet, with a total of 62,436
gsf shown on five floors above grade and one basement.
26 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
BUILDING SITES: SITE 1
Typical Laboratory Layout
Typical Office Layout
Ground Floor
Brown Office Building
60ft
Offices
Labs
Classrooms
Circulation
Service
27
BUILDING SITES: SITE 2
A new academic building forms the western edge of the
landscaped Oval, on the site bounded by the Oval, Olive,
Brown, and Angell Streets. Two important landmarks on
this site are retained, and the new structure is woven
between them: Peter Green House is relocated to Brown
Street, contributing to the historic residential character of
this street. It sits over a new underground utility vault.
Immediately to the east of Peter Green is a significant old
beech tree. It is the centerpiece of a new garden court
opening to the south. The new academic building forms a
five story wall facing the Oval, and steps down to the west,
adjusting in height and width as it connects to Peter Green
and meets the residential scale of Brown Street. The
ground floor includes a small auditorium with up to 320
seats and several additional shared instructional spaces.
Offices along the south wall, face into the garden court,
and laboratories face north towards Bio Med Grimshaw
Guderwicz. The 14 foot change in grade from West to east
allows for two entrance floors. The principal entrance from
the Oval is shown as ground level one, and the principal
entrance from Brown Street, to Peter Green and the new
structure, is shown as ground level two. A typical upper
floor plan includes offices to the east and south, and
laboratories to the north. The building section shows a tall
ground floor space, appropriately scaled for public uses,
and four upper floor of approximately 13’-6” floor to floor,
sufficient to accommodate modern office uses. The height
of the building is 75 feet, as permitted by the current
zoning. A rooftop greenhouse for EEB could be located on
the upper floor, taking advantage of the unobstructed sun
exposures within the zoning limits. The rooftop could also
accommodate area cooling towers, as envisioned in the
utility infrastructure plan.
The floor plate is 17,672 feet, with a total of 107,683
square feet shown on six levels, of the new building and
renovated Peter Green. The utility vault below Peter Green
is not included in this total of usable space.
28 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
BUILDING SITES: SITE 2
Typical Layout with Offices
Typical Layout with Classrooms
Ground Floor
60ft
Offices
Labs
Classrooms
Circulation
Service
29
BUILDING SITES: SITE 3
A new academic building and several existing buildings
occupy Site Three. It forms the western boundary of The
Walk between Waterman and Angell Streets, spans Fones
Alley, and frames a passageway at Fones Alley which
connects the Walk to a garden to the West, and through to
Brown Street. The orientation of the mass of the building in
a north south direction minimizes its impact on adjoining
streets, and reinforces the axis of The Walk. The ground
floor of the structure is shown with a variety of instructional
spaces, and entrances from all four directions, including
the new passage along Fones Alley. Upper floors can
accommodate academic departmental offices. The floor
plate is 16,046 square feet, with a total of 96,280 square
feet shown on six levels. In this configuration, Walter Hall
remains, and the two mid nineteenth century houses at
127 and 129 Angell Street remain. UEL, Norwood House,
and 86 Waterman Street are removed. It is also possible to
envision alternative configurations of a new building on this
site with the other residential structures removed or
relocated. To the west, J.W.Wilson is shown as remaining,
with major renovation to accommodate new uses.
Alternatively, this site could accommodate the proposed
campus center, if the decision is made to locate the
campus center here.
30 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
BUILDING SITES: SITE 3
Ground Floor Typical Office Layout
60ft
Offices
Labs
Classrooms
Circulation
Service
31
BUILDING SITES: SITE 3 /J.W.WILSON
Our detailed evaluation of the condition of the building and
the feasibility of replacing it indicated that there is greater
value in retaining this 65,762 square foot structure which
comes close to filling the allowable zoning envelope. The
plans show a new entrance at grade at the corner of Brown
and Waterman, major renovations to reconfigure the
interior, leaving the structural bearing walls in place but
replacing all mechanical systems, and replacement of the
facades. The ground floor could be reconfigured with an
opening to restore pedestrian traffic along Fones Alley, from
Corliss Bracket through to Thayer Street. The removal of
the steps to the second floor reconfiguring of street level
entrances, and incorporation of additional public use
instructional and lounge spaces on the ground level would
enhance the use of the building. Alternative upper floor
plans are shown to illustrate the use of the building for
academic offices, laboratories, or student residences.
Walter Hall could be renovated and connected to either
J.W.Wilson or the new academic building, in relation to
program affinities of proposed occupants.
32 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
BUILDING SITES: SITE 3 /J.W.WILSON
Ground Floor Typical Office Typical Laboratory Typical Residential
Layout Layout Layout
60ft
Offices
Labs
Classrooms
Circulation
Service
33
UTILITIES
A concurrent study of campus utilities, undertaken by
P.B.Power, shows that the three pieces of infrastructure
require major investment.
A new electric substation is required to provide power to
new buildings within the Walk site. It is shown in a vault on
the corner of Brown and Angell Streets, beneath the
relocated Peter Green House.
Replacement of high temperature hot water lines, and the
construction of a loop system to provide redundancy, is
under consideration for the entire campus. Sites within the
Walk are an integral part of the planned routes.
Provision of clustered chillers to provide area cooling is
another recommendation under study. One of the
proposed Walk buildings would be a logical site for chillers
to service new and existing buildings in this area.
Electrical
HTHW
Cooling
34 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC
APPENDIX
The following pages show excerpts from the landscape analysis of the Brown Campus prepared by
Rader + Crews to gain a better understanding of how the new Walk relates to the overall campus.
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MAJOR AXES
The Brown University Campus has a strongly organized central historic core organized
around two principal axes. These include the College Street axis running east/west through
the three primary open spaces of the Front Green, the College Green and Lincoln Field and
the north/south axis of Brown Street. Major campus gates are located where each of the
axes cross the edges of the core block (See photos A-D). The Pembroke Campus to the
north does not directly relate to either of these principal axes.
B
C
A
D
A. Van Wickle Gate
B. Faunce Arch
D. John Carter Brown Gate
C. Soldiers Arch
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R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape
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MAJOR OPEN SPACES
The Brown central campus is an excellent example of classic American campus planning
with buildings organized around central open spaces. In addition to the major open spaces
at the historic core, the Wriston Complex to the south and the Pembroke Campus to the
north are organized around central open spaces.
Project
Area
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BLOCK SIZE
The history of the formation of the Brown campus has been one of the gradual
consolidation of blocks into larger super blocks. The historic core forms the largest block
with the Wriston Complex, the Engineering Campus and the Pembroke Campus each sited
on large combined blocks. Additional blocks (shown in orange) have also eliminated
through streets to create improved pedestrian campus links. The blocks between Meeting
Street on north and Angell Street on the south, divided by Olive Street (A) through its center
are non-typical college blocks that are even narrower based on the original street pattern.
Olive Street is a minor street only three blocks long. A master plan prepared by the City of A
Providence in 1967 recommended that Olive Street be closed.
View South from Brown and Waterman 1885
Aerial view of the Pembroke Campus c. 1930 Wriston Quadragle prior to construction c. 1950
North
R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape
Architecture LLC
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BOUNDARY EXISTING CONDITIONS
The Campus has several layers and types of edges. One is the actual physical boundary
that can be drawn around the buildings that Brown owns. Another is the legal institutional
zone in which college buildings can be sited according city zoning. Finally, there is a
perceived campus edge that is marked by boundary walls, fences and hedges. These
edges create a clear image for the Campus as something distinct from the surrounding
neighborhood. This diagram shows where campus defining walls, fences and hedges
currently occur. We find that the central historic core, the Wriston complex, the Graduate
Center are very strongly defined as part of the campus. At Pembroke, a short section of
stone wall along Meeting Street defines the campus edge to those who approach from the
main campus. A fence with brick piers also occurs on the far northern edge of Pembroke
Campus along Bowen Street to demarcate the end of the Brown campus in that direction.
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MATERIALS
Throughout the campus, many buildings, walls and fence piers are brick which creates an
overall impression of a brick campus while paving is predominately concrete. Concrete
walks form the great majority of the inter-campus path system and are the preferred
material for the public street sidewalks as well. Asphalt sidewalks are sometimes found at
public streets where sections of walk have been patched. This diagram shows the
instances where a material other than concrete or asphalt appears. In most cases the
special material is brick and these are shown in red-brown on the diagram. In a few cases
areas are paved in stone which is shown in grey. The blue surrounding highlight color
indicates if the change in material supports the overall organization of the campus and the
yellow indicates an area where the change in material is more random.
Brick paving is commonly used along the main east/west campus axis. Large areas are
paved with brick at the Van Wickle Gate and across Prospect Street in front of the John
Hay and Rockefeller Libraries. Brick is also used at the engineering building sidewalk at the
far eastern end of the axis. A unique treatment is used at the block between Thayer and
Brook Streets which is paved with concrete pavers. Stone paving is used at the Soldier's
Arch.
Stone paving and walls are more common at the Pembroke Campus which is more rustic
in character. A stone wall bounds the southern edge of the Pembroke Campus and the
main axis of the principal green space at Pembroke is punctuated by stone.
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AREA TOPOGRAPHY
The topography of College Hill is formed by two ridges and an intervening valley all of which
slope to the south draining into the bay. Brown's original buildings, with University Hall at
their center, were sited along the western ridge whose west slope descended steeply
down to the river and city. Thayer and Brook Streets mark the location of the wide flat valley
to the east. Beyond Thayer and Brook Streets the topography slopes up to the second
ridge. As the campus expanded out to the east most of the campus buildings as well as
the site for the current Walk project fell on the eastern slope of the original ridge as it
sloped down to the Thayer Street valley.
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ELEVATION
The analysis of the topography of the project site provided important insights. In this
diagram we see, at a larger scale, the western ridge line marked by University Hall and the
central valley marked by Thayer and Brook Streets that was discussed in the College Hill
topography analysis described earlier. The red contour line shows that University Hall and
the site for the new Life Sciences Building just north of Olive Street are at the same
elevation. This indicates that a walk from the new Life Sciences Building down to Lincoln
Field would require the descent of 20 feet of elevation followed by the ascent of 20 feet
back up to the original elevation at University Hall. A walk along the diagonal line of the
contour would provide a shorter level route.
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42 R.M.Kliment & Frances Halsband Architects / Todd Rader + Amy Crews Landscape Architecture LLC 42
PROJECTED CIRCULATION
Alternate paths were also suggested when future circulation patterns were studied. A
pattern emerged that included fanning networks of desire lines as well as more focused
linear pathways.
These studies began to transform the concept of The Walk from a singular path into a
spreading network of alternate routes through a series of campus open spaces. All of the
following schemes are alternates of this basic approach. They are all characterized as a
series of open spaces around which new and existing campus buildings are sited. They
are flexible systems that allow for a wide variety of paths to be taken.
North
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