Revelle College Neighborhood Planning Study

Executive Summary

The neighborhood study process began with conversations between the study team and the Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) to understand the essential elements that comprise a "college' within the UCSD campus. The identity of Revelle College is rooted in the people: staff, faculty and students, and the academic focus. Though many Revelle College students are associated with the Natural Sciences program, its residents represent numerous disciplines.

Early in the process, a set of objectives was developed to guide the study. Key issues were identified:

Building Program

• Establish a balance between program needs and development capacity
• Consider reintroducing classrooms to bring students and increased activities to Revelle College.
• Maximize parking, but also consider relocating parking to other areas of the campus.
• Test of building additions to accommodate program needs around and above existing buildings.
• Consider phasing for the academic program and establish siting guidelines for the near term program needs for a 110,000 ASF Natural Sciences facility.

Site Planning

• Study how new buildings could be added along the western edge and not "wall off" student housing.
• Separate housing and academic buildings appropriately.

Social Spaces

• Retain Revelle Plaza in its current location and configuration
• Consider developing a few big open spaces rather than smaller ones
• Consider how the Undergraduate Library can be reinforced as a destination and vital part of the College.

Given these objectives, the study team developed a series of alternatives that tested the capacity of available building sites and resulting open spaces. These alternatives were measured comparatively with the existing character of the College. The final neighborhood plan addresses the objectives defined by the PAC and Campus Planning staff, and reflects the input by the Campus/Community Planning Committee and Design Review Board.

Program Summary

Academic. The program that can be added to Revelle College is 536,000 GSF (325,000 ASF). Of this, 486,000 GSF (295,000 ASF) is programmed for the Natural Sciences. The majority of this space should be clustered near Pacific and Urey Halls to build relationships between Natural Sciences programs and facilities. With the existing 803,000 GSF of facilities to remain, Revelle College will ultimately house a total of 1,339,000 GSF (789,000 ASF) of academic and support space. To meet the residual projected growth of the Natural Sciences program will require building 175,000 GSF (105,000 ASF) outside of Revelle College along the Life and Natural Sciences Academic Corridor.

Residential. In the long term, and when appropriate, the Revelle Commons and Central Kitchen will be rebuilt in a central location within the enlarged residential cluster. Approximately 500 apartment beds will be added to the College, and residence hall beds will decrease from 890 to 550 following the ultimate demolition of the "Fleet" buildings and the construction of 102 new residence hall beds to supplement the 448 beds remaining in Blake and Argo. The new housing complex will form a large residential green to allow for recreation and relaxation of Revelle College's residents.

Edges, Open Spaces and Movement.

Campus Edge. The plan makes specific recommendations for developing the public edge of Revelle College along North Torrey Pines Road. As a window to the campus, this landscaped edge should define Revelle College and integrate with the larger rustic edge of the campus with a variety of open spaces and building edges. The new residential cluster will bring an opportunity to redefine the southern entry to the campus and Revelle College.

Open Space. The UCSD Park eucalyptus grove defines the eastern edge of the Revelle College Neighborhood. The Park is the primary campuswide open space. The plan maintains and builds on the strengths of the Park and Revelle College's other primary open spaces: Revelle Plaza, Urey Green, and the La Jolla Project, (a Stuart Collection art piece which includes the Richard Fleischer sculpture and surrounding lawn area). Revelle Plaza, the social heart of the College, will maintain its basic size, shape and configuration, with the modest addition of a 'stoa" on its western edge. This new outdoor structure and associated outdoor seating will help bring activity out onto the Plaza. Coffee and sandwich service can originate from the Commons. Two new academic courts and a residential green will be added to the open space network providing a variety of landscaped spaces.

Ridge Walk. This important north-south spine should be redone to improve its 'legibility" throughout the entire campus, as well as within Revelle College. The recent completion of Library Walk underscores the advantages of defining the university's main circulation spines with integrated landscaping, paving and lighting. In the new neighborhood plan Ridge Walk will be extended to arrive at the south gateway at Revelle College Drive.

Neighborhood Design Guidelines Summary

Revelle College in 1998 is defined by a series of distinct open spaces: Urey Green, Revelle Plaza, and the La Jolla Project. The physical identity of Revelle College is tied most closely to these memorable spaces. In addition, Ridge Walk, which connects these spaces along a north-south spine, and the historically valued Grove that adjoins Revelle College along the south and east are the foundation for its identity. To these, this planning study has recommended adding a series of distinctive new open spaces and architectural additions. The Neighborhood Design Guidelines are intended as a reference tool for implementing both building projects and landscape projects. They describe a general approach and philosophy while allowing for flexibility and creativity in the design of specific projects.

Architectural Design Guidelines. These guidelines address academic buildings, residential buildings and other projects. They are presented as a series of guiding principles:

1. Reinforce the University's identity
2. Reinforce the identity of Revelle College
3. Building scale and massing should respect the existing context of Revelle College
4. Building orientation should enhance pedestrian circulation
5. New buildings should capture and preserve views
6. Buildings should engage the adjacent public spaces
7. Infill projects should respect existing buildings
8. Service functions should be sensitively located
9. Provide informal gathering spaces that encourage interaction
10. Buildings should be responsive to solar orientation
11. Reinforce the character of academic buildings as different from the residential

1. Provide amenities that will encourage students to reside in Revelle College
2. The new apartment housing should help define the University and Revelle College
3. Scale and massing should reflect a collegiate residential character
4. Reinforce the Commons as the the social center of Revelle College
5. New housing should be responsive to solar orientation
6. Reinforce the character of residential buildings as different from the academic buildings

Recommendations are made for the proposed parking structure and for the addition of a "stoa" to Revelle Plaza. Guidelines for materials and colors are based on natural materials and the color palette found in Revelle College.

Landscape Design Guidelines. These guidelines focus on shaping the outdoor environments of Revelle College. They are based firmly on the existing landscapes within the College and in summary recommend that future efforts preserve and enhance the existing socially and visually valuable spaces, create new spaces that will become an integral part of the identity of the College, and enhance the definition of the public boundaries. Detailed descriptions are provided for Ridge Walk, Urey Green, Academic Courts, Residential Green, North Torrey Pines Edge, Commons, and the La Jolla Project, suggesting hardscape, seating and planting for each unique space. Applied to each of these spaces are a series of guiding principles:

1. Use the landscape to reinforce and define the identity of Revelle College
2. Develop strong edges with the rustic landscape and restore the Park Grove
3. Establish a strong character and identity for each space, such that the landscapes become memorable and orienting
4. Create spaces that encourage outdoor use, scaled appropriately to the intended social use
5. Provide opportunities for traditional seating and other opportunities
6. Take advantage of solar orientation for both outdoor seating and to cool the buildings
7. The landscape should engage and help to reinforce the design principles of the architecture

Landscape recommendations are also made for Revelle Plaza, the parking structure site, surface parking and paving materials. Recommended plant species are identified for each of the major open spaces.

In summary, the architectural and landscape design guidelines are designed to reinforce and to strengthen what exists today and to assist in creating and shaping future additions to Revelle College's valued open spaces.