NJIT Master Plan · NJIT - LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN 1 The recent construction of the East Building and...

NJITLANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN

New Jersey Institute of Technology

January 2005

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NJIT - LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN

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and North EntryTypical Summit Promenade 26Summit Quad 27Typical Bleeker Promenade 28Technology Plaza 29York Environmental Plaza 30Weston Plaza 31South Residential Courtyard 32North Residential Courtyard 33Gateway 34Campus Center Service Area 35Phasing Diagram 36Site Furnishings 37Plant Material - Type I 38Plant Material - Type II 39SSuummmmaarryy 40

INTRODUCTION

NJIT - LANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN 1

The recent construction of the East Buildingand the renovation of the Campus Centerredefined NJIT’s campus core. The impact ofthese buildings on campus encouraged theInstitute to examine its open spaces and therole of the landscape in campus life. Theneed for a Landscape Master Plan was aresult of this examination.

The New York City based landscape archi-tecture firm Thomas Balsley Associates (TBA)was selected to create a Landscape MasterPlan to inventory and analyze the existinglandscape and develop new ideas for thefuture. Working closely with the Institute’sstaff and with the assistance of GwathmeySiegel, architects for the East Building andCampus Center, TBA’s Landscape MasterPlan will provide a framework for futurebuilding and landscape development on cam-pus.

GOALS AND STRATEGIES


Goals aand SStrategiesThe goal of the Landscape Master Plan is todevelop guidelines for future facility decision-making. It will identify campus areas requiringimprovement, provide a phasing strategy tologically implement these areas, define cam-pus standards for construction materials, andrecommend site furnishing and plantings.

Though this document will reflect the currentthinking of the Institute’s administration, itshould be revisited at least every 5 years or ifthere are significant changes to the long termgoals of the campus. The 'vision' set forth inthis Master Plan will be fully grounded in thephysical realities, maintenance concerns andbudgetary conditions set forth by the Instituteensuring that this Landscape Master Plan beachievable.

ProcessDeveloping the Landscape Master Plan con-sists of a series of steps each building on theprevious. We begin with the close examina-tion and understanding of the existing condi-tions of the campus (inventory), then, weobserve use patterns and their intuitive natureas they reveal themselves (analysis) and con-sider the Institutes’ development goals tocreate the basis and framework for all feasiblefuture development (concepts). Only fromthis groundwork, can appropriate designs becreated (design).

This document traces the process according-ly.

CAMPUS MAP 2004


INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS


InventoryThe inventory examines the existing physicalfeatures on the campus. The inventory mapssuch items as land use, building types and cir-culation routes. This information provides thebasic understanding of the physical nature ofthe campus and sets the groundwork forfuture design.

AnalysisAnalysis is the subjective interpretation of fac-tors and relationships as disclosed in theinventory process. The analysis will defineissues related to the character of open spacesand use patterns allowing recognition of areasof conflict or underuse.

INVENTORY AND ANALYSISCONTEXT


New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is a45-acre campus located in the UniversityHeights section of Newark. The campus is ashort distance west of Newark's DowntownDistrict and ten miles from Manhattan. Thecampus is easily accessible from several majorhighways and by local subway from PennStation, Newark.

NJIT shares the ‘Heights’ with several otherinstitutions including: Rutgers-Newark to theeast, Essex County College and Essex CountyCourthouse to the south and the UniversityHeights Science Park to the west. In addition,the Seton Law School is located nearby. down-town Newark.

Campus facilities are generally concentratedwithin the boundaries of: Dr. Martin LutherKing Boulevard to the east, Raymond Boulevardsouth, Lock Street west, and Central Avenueto the north. Warren Street running east-westdivides the southern third of campus.

INVENTORY AND ANALYSISLAND USE


Use zones or campus precincts are evident butnot required on this campus which is easily tra-versed from one end to another. The diagramhighlights some existing relationships. Parking,appropriately, is assigned to the perimeter ofthe campus. Student activity uses are centrallylocated with classrooms scattered throughout.Outdoor athletic activities are the clusteredaround the Fleisher Athletic Center. There aretwo pairs of residential units at opposite ends ofthe campus. Central High School intrudes intothe campus, interrupting the connection ofcampus activities along Summit Street.

INVENTORY AND ANALYSISVEHICULAR CIRCULATION


Vehicular circulation and roadways define thecampus boundaries and create physical barriersdividing portions of the campus. Bleeker Streetseparates the north end from the main campus.Warren Street separates the south end, andSummit Street splits the campus east and west.The elimination of Bleeker Street through TheGreen will create a more cohesive campus anda stronger sense of place.

Parking is located on the perimeter of campuswith the exception of a small lot between theECE building, Tiernan and Faculty MemorialHall. Access to these lots are from the citystreets, which helps limit pedestrian vehicularconflicts.

INVENTORY AND ANALYSISPEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION


The success of campus life is dependent on theease of pedestrian movement and the elimina-tion or reduction of pedestrian-vehicular con-flict. Circulation patterns should respect stu-dents 'desire lines' as they move through thecampus. The main north-south axis is alongSummit Street. The street facilitates movementfrom the parking deck on the southern end ofSummit to the new Campus Center on thenorth with various classroom buildings on eitherside of the street along the way. A minor axisexists on the west side of The Green connect-ing the surface parking lot (south) to the resi-dence halls and classroom buildings (north).The east-west movements are less defined andmore informal due to the shortened distance.The Green allows for free pedestrian move-ment and the paved walkways serve mostmovements around and through The Green.

INVENTORY AND ANALYSISVEGETATION


Campus vegetation is primarily comprised oflarge areas of lawn, little shrubbery and periph-eral street tree planting. Mature trees enhancethe entry landscape of Eberhardt Hall and a mixof evergreen and deciduous trees fill the SouthGreen. Summit Street has a rhythm of streettrees that define its western edge. There is littleuse of trees as an architectural device to eithercreate space or frame vistas, processional waysor ceremonial areas.

INVENTORY AND ANALYSISCIRCULATION ANALYSIS


The overlay of the pedestrian and circulationdiagrams identifies the hierarchy of pedestriantravel through the campus and shows theareas of pedestrian/vehicular conflicts at thevarious crossings of Warren and at the inter-section of Bleeker and Summit. The diagramassumes the vehicular closing of SummitStreet from Warren to Bleeker and Bleekerfrom Summit to Lock Street for use by pedes-trians only with access available to emergencyvehicles. Hierarchy of pedestrian circulationwill help inform landscape design in definingactive zones, trip origins and destinations.

INVENTORY AND ANALYSISSPACE ANALYSIS


The space analysis attempts to quantify the non-physical aspects of the campus open spaces byunderstanding user patterns and perceptions.From this, the hierarchy and character of theopen spaces becomes defined. The Green as alandscaped space must be recognized as notonly the physical core of the campus, but as theprimary outdoor open space. Each open spaceplays a role in the experience of the users. Thisexperience must be undetstood in order to fullyinform future developement on the campusspaces.

LANDSCAPE CONCEPTS


The Landscape Concept Diagram is a devel-oped form of the information obtained fromthe inventory and analysis. The plan catego-rizes various landscape zone types on thecampus that have similar uses or program.Site organization and hierarchical relationshipsare established which will guide the design ofthese areas and help define the type ofpaving, planting, lighting and site furnishings.

LANDSCAPE CONCEPTSLANDSCAPE CONCEPT DIAGRAM


LANDSCAPE CONCEPTSOPEN SPACE


Open active lawn areas are crucial to acampus setting. They should be near high-activity areas and residence halls to be eas-ily accessible for activities such as ROTCdrill, volleyball, frisbie or ball toss. Thesespaces are characterized by an open lawnarea, accessed and defined by perimeterpathways, trees, lights and benches.

The Green is the essence and heart of thecampus. The Green provides a flexibleopen space that encourages a variety ofactivities. Though it extends from FacultyMemorial Hall to Bleeker Street, it is reallycomposed of two distinct spaces, definedby topography and trees. The southern,upper portion, though connected visuallyto the lower space, should be developedinto a passive open lawn area with treededges that would allow quiet activitiesadjacent to the classroom buildings.

As presently configured, the sloping lawneast of Eberhardt is a lost space on campus.If properly connected to the main part ofcampus, it could provide a sloping lawnwith views toward downtown Newark andNew York City: a perfect place for readingand quiet study groups.

LANDSCAPE CONCEPTSPEOPLE PLACES


The plaza is primarily a hardscape spaceoutside busy pedestrian centers. Thepaved areas allow for free pedestrian cir-culation and gatherings of large numbersof students.

These spaces will be defined by concretepavers and will incorporate benches,tables, chairs, and other site furnishingsfor users who wish to congregate, sit oreat outside the dining areas. Thesespaces can also be designed to incorpo-rate unique landscape features that fur-ther define their special nature within thecampus.

LANDSCAPE CONCEPTSPEDESTRIAN MOVEMENT


Transforming Summit Street and BleekerStreet into pedestrian only paths will cre-ate safe pedestrian corridors along majorcirculation axis. With this transforma-tion, primary circulation routes areaccommodated and iconic campusspaces are defined.

East-west pedestrian paths are locatedprimarily between buildings and provideconnections to larger open spaces.These pass-thru zones should encouragemovement and are not designed for lin-gering.

LANDSCAPE CONCEPTSEDGES/GATEWAYS


Local streets define the campus boundarieswith the majority of the public viewing thesite as passing motorists. The buildings oncampus have an appropriate inward orienta-tion, but present their backs to the public.Lubetkin Field is enclosed by fencing butallows views into the campus.

There are many opportunities to creategateways for the campus. At present thereis only one major gateway and that is cen-tered on Central Street. Our plan proposesgateway signage and campus identity at thefour major campus corners to strengthenthe Institute’s presence and project a com-pelling, cohesive public image.

LANDSCAPE DESIGN


The Overall Illustrative Plan develops concep-tual ideas to produce specific recommenda-tions for the campus. It creates a cohesivevision while celebrating the uniqueness andcharacter of the individual spaces. A languageof forms, colors, materials and plantings isdefined and utilized throughout the campus.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNLANDSCAPE MASTER PLAN


LANDSCAPE DESIGNEBERHARDT HALL PERSPECTIVE


LANDSCAPE DESIGN


The soon to be renovated, grand old buildingdefines the historic tradition of NJIT. By thin-ning the mature trees in the front yard,Eberhardt ‘s grandeur will again be visible fromthe campus approaches to the east. The frontyard will be transformed into a formal forecourtby removing the parking lot and creating a ter-raced green. Flowering trees frame the build-ing and a new bluestone forecourt is placedbetween the Hall and the green to host variousevents. The path to the west entry is softenedby planting and announced by bluestone paving.A marker will be placed near the intersection ofBleeker and MLK Boulevard for campus identi-ty.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNTHE GREEN PERSPECTIVE


LANDSCAPE DESIGNSOUTH GREEN


The South Green, North Green and CentralAvenue Building Plaza and North Entry com-bine to create the major open space of thecampus.

The South Green provides a large curbedlawn area suitable for the Institute's ceremo-nial use as well as for active and passive stu-dent recreation. Canopy tree planting withbenches and light poles frame the lawn to thesouth and west, while a sweep of tieredplanters cascade to the area below. The

sweeping forms of the tiered planters carrythrough to the North Green and create aseamless continuity between all spaces.

Precast concrete pavers create a cadence ofbands that morph into garden panels, precastbenches and specimen tree plantings as onetravels north.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNNORTH GREEN


The elevation change between the north andsouth green provides a natural separation ofthese two spaces. Taking advantage of this,the proposed design incorporates a tieredlawn seating that overlooks a large, perform-ance-oriented paved plaza. This plaza residesat a central point in The Green landscapewhile accommodating the desired pedestrianmovements through this active part of cam-pus. A variety of seating opportunitiesenhance the use of the plaza.

Taking a cue from the circular geometry ofthe Campus Center the 'sweep' continues inthe form of raised planted gardens and awave of ornamental grass plantings on the farnortheast.

The large lawn provides active/passive recre-ation potential for students, and ceremonialuse for campus events.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNCENTRAL AVE. BUILDING PLAZA AND NORTH ENTRY


The South and North Greens culminate in thecircular raised platform at the Central AvenueBuilding. Formerly a sunken plaza, the space hasbeen lifted to create a more dynamic form anda better-used amenity. Steps climb to the plat-form level, a circular bosque of trees creates acanopy over bench seating and a garden rimsthe north edge.

Mature trees at the Mechanical EngineeringBuilding have been retained. Classic bench seat-ing and a carpet of groundcover cleanly definethe area.

Views from the North Gate into the Greennow show an elegant, sinuous landscape articu-lated with compelling forms and colors.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNTYPICAL SUMMIT PROMENADE


The new Summit promenade trans-forms a vehicular roadbed to pedes-trian use creating a major north-southcampus path. Colorful garden bedslocated in the center of the roadbedseparate flanking pathways locatedinside the existing zelkova tree line.The concrete pathways will be sizedto allow for emergency and servicevehicle access. The zone within thetree line, outside the pathways will

contain rows of lights and benchesfacing the promenade. Spaces alongthe buildings will be planted.Diagonal pathways of precast paverscrisscross the center planters allowingfree pedestrian movement to eitherside of the promenade.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNSUMMIT QUAD


One of the elements of the new SummitPromenade is Summit Quad. Recognizing thevast number of students that will travel throughthis area, a multifaceted design response isrequired. Summit Quad provides a passiverecreation lawn, café tables and chairs, sculptur-al precast concrete bench seating, traditionalbench seating under tree canopy and a circulargarden of seasonal color. The Carillon at the farnorth end of the Quad creates a focal point forthe interstitial space at the Campus Center andprovides for what will likely become the desig-nated meeting spot on campus.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNTYPICAL BLEEKER PROMENADE


The closing of Bleeker Street to vehicular trafficwill transform the roadway into a pedestrianpromenade. The Green will no longer bebisected and will be able to extend to theCentral Avenue building, unifying the centralcore of the campus. The centered single path-way will collect east-west pedestrian traffic andbe lined with lawn and benches with shrub andtree beds extending to the adjacent building.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNTECHNOLOGY PLAZA


The ‘greening’ of Technology Plaza,presently an existing parking lot framed bythe ECE building to the east, FacultyMemorial Hall to the north and TiernanHall to the west, recaptures a multifacetedopen space for the Institute. The spaceprovides a new entry to the campus alongWarren announced by campus ID alongthe sidewalk. The plaza will create animportant, direct pedestrian connectionbetween the parking lot/future building siteto the north with The Green, throughTiernan Hall.

The Plaza’s alternating precast concretepaver banding creates a pedestrian gather-ing space furnished with café tables andchairs. Groves and allees of canopy andflowering trees frame the open space, anda passive recreation lawn provides a softalternative for students. An iconic sculp-ture set in a colorful garden bed provides avisual focus for the surrounding spaces aswell as creating a visual beacon from othercampus areas.


LANDSCAPE DESIGNYORK ENVIRONMENTAL GARDEN

Taking an opportunity to reduce the doubleloaded parking area and oversized parking aislesbetween York Center and the Parking Deck,this recovered area strives to create a uniquelaboratory for environmental studies.

The design suggests narrowing the on-gradeparking to one parking aisle and its circulationspace. The area captured will provide a plant-ed strip to soften the edge against the ParkingDeck on the south and be used to create anenvironmental garden against the York Center.Working with the steep east-west gradient thegarden is design to create a filtration landscapethat flows through various phytoremedial plantspecies resulting in a clean water basin at theeast. Viewing boardwalks bridge the gardenlaboratory and a gated garden wall secures thearea.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNWESTON PLAZA


The new plaza maintains the lawn spill outspace for ground level meeting room forWeston Hall and adds cafe tables andchairs for seating. Stairs still connect toWarren Street and a linear garden createsa colorful buffer between this plaza and theanticipated entry of the future building tothe west.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNSOUTH RESIDENTIAL COURTYARD


The plan proposes to breathe new life into thisspace by providing for multiple potential uses.Here active and passive recreation merge tocreate an environment that offers peacefulareas for study and quiet such as shade gardens,bosques of trees and passive lawns for sunning.These areas are located closest to the buildings.

The essence of the semicircular lawn is retainedwith the addition of a new volleyball courtdirectly in the center of the lawn creating theopportunity for active recreation within the res-idential quad.

Diagonal pathways score the semicircle, creatingdirect links to previously underused areas of thelandscape and create a geometry for smallergarden areas to frame the active lawn.

Two plazas border the entry to Laurel Hall.Furnished with café tables and chairs, precastpaver patterns enhance the special nature ofthe plazas and link them to the passive recre-ation enclaves on both sides of the quad.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNNORTH RESIDENTIAL COURTYARD


The space between Redwood and CypressHalls has been redesigned to adapt to thevarious needs of the resident students.More light has been allowed into the court-yard by the removing some of the canopytrees that had created a dark, humid envi-ronment.

New plaza areas are edged with colorfulflowering trees to create a sense of vitalityand intimacy. Circulation routes are pavedwith concrete. Café seating is provided intwo open plaza areas near the buildingentries, defined by precast paving. A cen-tralized curbed lawn provides a soft surfacefor sunning, etc. Bench seating is locatedalong the walkways, plazas and lawn forseating options throughout the courtyard.A large circular garden adds seasonal colorthroughout the year.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNGATEWAY


The boundaries of the campus should beidentified to announce and create a defin-able entity within the community.Campus identification can take manyforms and serve a multitude of usesincluding wayfinding, security devices andinteractive displays.

Distinctive, iconic elements will define thecampus corners and become the mostidentifiable symbol of the Institute for thegeneral public.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNCAMPUS CENTER SERVICE AREA


The design seeks to create a safer, more pleas-ant pedestrian environment while preservingthe necessary service-related functionality of thespace. Conflicts between truck movements andpedestrian traffic cannot be avoided. It is theintent to minimize these conflicts. By bringingtrucks through the parking lot, conflicts at theBleeker Promenade occur only during truckbacking in and pulling out. The extendedAcademic Plaza to the north controls pedestri-an movement through the service area. Theservice area will be paved with cobblestone tofurther deter pedestrian movement..

Traffic calming devices, such as narrowing theneck of Summit Street, changing pavements tovisually and palpably define pedestrian crossings,setting bollards to inhibit pedestrian/vehicularconflicts, signage and the strategic use of plant-ing conspire to create a safe pleasant environ-ment.

LANDSCAPE DESIGNPHASING DIAGRAM


PHASE PROJECT

I Eberhardt Hall

South Green/ Volleyball Court

II Central Ave Bldg. PlazaCampus Center Service AreaBleeker Street

III Summit / New StreetCampus ID / Gateway

IV Technology Plaza

V S. Residential CourtyardN. Residential Courtyard

VI York Center

VII Colton Hall

VIII Guttenberg Corner

IX Streetscape

Completed Projects

LANDSCAPE DESIGNSITE FURNISHINGS


PAVING

SITE FURNISHINGS

FENCE, HANDRAILS AND BOLLARDS

CONCRETE STAIR AND PRECAST WALLS

LIGHTING

LANDSCAPE DESIGN


TREES

EVERGREEN TREES

ORNAMENTAL TREES

PLANT MATERIAL - TYPE I

LANDSCAPE DESIGN


EVERGREEN SHRUBS

DECIDUOUS SHRUBS

GROUND COVER AND GRASSES

FLOWERS

PLANT MATERIAL - TYPE II

SUMMARY


The development of this Landscape MasterPlan has been an extremely successful effortthrough which NJIT and Thomas BalsleyAssociates have collaborated to create anew and exciting campus environment.

This document sets forth guidelines for sitework on campus that will ensure rational,effective and cohesive implementation of allfuture phases.

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