I’ve done several site visits now, and have corresponded with others, and everybody is asking about help.

We are here for you.

While we do want finished plans for the space, something significantly better than a little sketch on the back of a torn envelope, we also aren’t expecting anyone to produce buildable CAD documents either. (Although, feel free!) The guidelines for what we are looking for can actually be thought of in simple terms-you are selling you’re idea to us, the Master Plan Implementation Committee. Your plans need to clearly and thoughtfully get across the ideas you have for the space, and be accurate enough to prove that they will work.

Bente Madson has graciously offered help, she helps run the Architecture Table. They have a dinner meeting every Thursday from 6:30-7:30 in LaForce Seminar Room 121. If you can’ t make it, you can always email arctable@middlebury.edu.

Also don’t forget the list of advisors. And I’m available as well-while I don’t have a slow time of year, it’s quite a bit easier for me to meet now that the growing season is over. I’m also a little speedier by email now as well.

12-15 hardy souls joined us in a cold, November rain last Friday for a site visit around the Atwater Commons project, along with several faculty and staff, and even an alum (nice to meet you, Philip!).

First, a mea culpa. I’m hoping I didn’t scare anyone off of the project by expanding the scope unnecessarily. We did a soup to nuts tour, starting all the way down in the Johnson Parking lot, crawling all around the bottom (east) side of Atwater Dining, and somehow ending up in the residence halls parking lot. It’s a big area, and I feel like to get to know a site, you should also know the area around it. How you approach a site, the route you take, or what you see for views, or what views are blocked, or where the water goes: all of that is important information in drawing a landscape plan for the area.

But you don’t have to worry about it. I mentioned, for example, the pathway leading to the Commons house, 275 Weybridge. Yes, it could stand some improvement, but not a biggie. Focus your project on the commons area, between Hall A + B, and the front of the dining hall if you like. Like all things in this project, it is up to you–should you want to expand the scope and include some of the outlying deficiencies we discovered on the tour, feel free.

Last week, before the site visit, I took a scattering of pictures of the site. I’ve since posted them on the web for your viewing pleasure. They are geotagged as well, so a map next to the picture will show where I was standing when I took the picture.

Atwater Landscape Contest Pics

The resources page lists some maps that are available to be downloaded concerning the site.

Obviously, the first map to look at would be the boundary areas of the project itself. The aerial photograph is from a larger version taken in the summer of 2006. The boundary line, to an extent, is somewhat flexible. For example, we’ve not included the Atwater parking lot. Past experience with a planting island there was poor at best and the planting was eliminated. But do you have a better idea? Make a case and include it! Conversely, you may not need to design the entire area, or may want to leave an area untouched. Spaces that should be left out of the design competition are simply the Atwater Dining Roof (a work in progress, but starting to come into itself) and the wood line to the north of the project boundary, as this is a very important buffer zone with the neighbors on Murdock Court.

The most important maps for this project, however, are the Campus Base Maps. The underground of the Middlebury campus is a teeming mass of steam lines, electrical power, communications, storm drains, sewers, even some old lines on the older part of campus that ran a bell system. No project on campus begins without a trip to the campus base maps. A key is provided at the base of each one and questions about them can be answered by Luther Tenny. Also listed are two older revisions of the base maps. These include topographic lines, left off of the newer revisions for clarity. Both maps should only be used for reference. (Those of you who are GIS-inclined may email for rectified versions.)

Another map included is part of the campus tree map. A larger version of this, with more tree information, is available here.

Other maps and resources may be included in upcoming posts as well. If someone finds a really cool geological map of the area, let me know.

In September of 2004, Middlebury College completed construction of an area of campus known as Atwater Commons. In the process of construction, several basic natural systems in the area changed, and the extensive landscape plan was never fully realized. We would now like to re-landscape the space, and turn the area into a more functional, educational, and enjoyable space for the Middlebury College community.

The Atwater Design Contest is open to all Middlebury College students. Designs are due no later than Monday, February 7, 2011, and are to be submitted to the Office of the Vice President of Administration in Old Chapel 207. The winning plan will be will be implemented over the spring and summer of 2011 by Facilities Services.

Scope of the Project

The area we consider “Atwater” is a quad formed by the two dorms, Atwater Hall A and Hall B, the Atwater Dining Hall, and the back sides of Chateau and Allen. When redesigning the landscape, however, many factors outside of this quad also play a role as well, and may be considered as part of the design requirements. The map below shows what we would consider when looking at a landscape plan for this area, but, as with many parts of this project, you may change or modify this as you please. Please note that while the Atwater Dining roof is still a work in progress, it should not be considered in the redesign.

As Tim Spears wrote in his introductory email, we have in mind plans for improving the landscaping, planting additional vegetation, and creating recreational opportunities. At present, the Atwater landscape seems like a vast unfinished open space. We would like to see the landscape become almost a livable outdoor room, an area more welcoming and usable to the campus population. The project will need to be sustainable, both environmentally and  institutionally. Any design should follow Middlebury’s Master Plan, as well as our Sustainable Design Guidelines as they may apply.

Facilities Services already has some plans for renovating the area next summer–a baseline of improvements that need to be made to fix the area. These include pouring two sidewalks that are only crushed stone at present and fixing drainage along the west sidewalk next to Atwater Hall B. These baseline improvements will be spelled out in another post. And don’t forget, like other parts of the project, this may be modified by your design if desired.

Requirements & Expectations

The Master Plan Implementation Committee (MPIC) is looking for a landscape design plan to guide the development of the project. This should include a master overview drawing, as well as detailed drawings necessary to complete the project, including sectionals or elevations if you consider them appropriate. A brief, 1-2 page narrative of the project, including an overview of the plan and design goals, should accompany any drawings. Furthermore, a material list and rough budget should be provided as well.

Plans should be either hand drawn (no larger than 11×17) or electronic in PDF format. The contact information form should accompany the submission. A select group of projects will then be invited to present their plan to the MPIC, so a brief presentation (5 minutes) should be prepared.

The MPIC will choose no more than 3 finalists to present their plan at a Campus Forum to be held in early February. A winner will be chosen by the MPIC based on strength of design, sustainability, and feedback from the college community.

Advisors

Many people on campus are available for help and questions. These include Tim Parsons, Landscape Horticulturist in Facilities; Luther Tenny, Assistant Director of Maintenance and Operations in Facilities; Pieter Broucke, Professor of History of Art and Architecture; and John McLeod, Visiting Assistant Professor of Architecture. See the Resources page for the complete list.

Next Steps

A site visit to launch the project is scheduled for Friday, November 5 at 4:00 pm beginning in front of the Atwater Dining Hall. Tim Parsons will be there to walk through the site, discuss some of the history of the landscape, and address some of the deficiencies. A one-on-one meeting can be scheduled if you are unable to make the site visit, but this will have to take place during regular business hours.

This blog will also host more information on the project. See the Resources page for maps of the area and advisor contact information. Future posts will detail the history of the present landscape, deficiencies of the site, the master plan as it relates to Atwater, and more. The Middlebury Landscape blog will also host some posts on this project, more general in nature, with topics that not only relate to the project but to our landscape in general.