Part 5: Final Recommendation - SUNY Cobleskill

J
LANDSCAPE
PLAN
SUNY Cobleskill Facilities Master Plan – Phase 5 Report
November 2011
J – LANDSCAPE PLAN
Additionally, there is a high possibility of lead and PCBs in the existing
electrical system on the west side of campus based upon age.
The cost of this recommendation is not carried by the FMP as it is considered
part of the College’s critical maintenance needs. Coordination with site
improvement efforts, however, should be done when possible.
DATA
While this data and technology issues are presented in greater detail
in Section M (Technology) it is generally understood that the campus’
data infrastructure has inadequate redundancy and is at capacity. The
FMP recommends that the College undertake a study and chart how the
campus envisions both rationalizing and expanding the current system.
As with the significant electrical system upgrades, data upgrades should
be coordinated to minimize site disturbance and combine with other
infrastructure work for cost savings.
As this issue requires significant additional study, it is not an initiative of the
FMP and project costs are not carried in the FMP’s budget. Additionally,
this work should also be coordinated with initiative 1F - Upgrade General
Classroom Technology Campus-wide, which involves the installation of
data backbones in all instructional buildings, new data closets and multimedia
capabilities.
The facilities master plan [FMP] team, in conjunction with the College,
has identified planning objectives that, taken together with critical design
drivers such as infrastructure and programmatic needs, guide the design
and development of campus spaces. These objectives are considered not
only in the planning of new buildings but also in the design of the campus
landscape spaces.
The principle of providing opportunities for experiential learning is evident
in throughout all three of the concept alternatives. SUNY Cobleskill is set
apart by its emphasis on hands-on learning, giving students the unique
advantage of practical experience and theoretical knowledge. To this
end, the FMP approaches the landscape as a laboratory for real-world
learning.
The Lower Quad, for example, can include exposed storm water
infrastructure that is necessary for the campus, but also provides visual
interest and opportunities for learning in outdoor classrooms. Science
curricula related to water quality, sustainability, and bio-geo-chemical
processes may also have the opportunity to use the campus’s storm
water management practices as a tool for learning. Outdoor spaces may
contain teaching gardens or an arboretum—features that are not only
attractive but useful.
The objective of breaking down the socio-cultural divisions within the
SUNY Cobleskill campus is supported by the effort to strengthen the
physical connection between the east and west sides of the campus. In
the final FMP a crossing at Route 7 is established in alignment to the
Student & Community Center. Traffic-calming treatments, such as median
islands, human-scale lighting, signage, pedestrian-actuated signals, and
varied road widths, are applied at the primary pedestrian crossing. The
reconfigured crossing of Route 7 provide an essential link between the
two sides of the campus.
established at a highly visible location that can be easily accessed by
the general public such as the main campus entry at Schoharie Parkway
south and may include a modest amount of nearby parking.
In addition to the planning objectives identified by the College, a second
set of summary design principles are proposed for the campus landscape.
These ideas guide the development of the campus landscape as a unified,
safe and attractive environment. These principles include:
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Simplify
• Replace unnecessary stairs and ramps; mitigate grade
changes with landscaping strategies where it is possible
• Eliminate redundancies such as parallel walkways
• Provide centrally located, uncluttered, open green
spaces
Reduce
• Set standards for lighting, paving materials and site
walls
• Utilize local materials and native vegetation to reduce
maintenance
• Remove unnecessary pavement
• Develop landscape management zones that assign
reduced management areas
Design with the land
• Organize circulation along natural patterns of movement
as suggested by desire lines and the natural topography
of the site
• Provide universal access by creating a circulation network
that moves along the contours of the land
• Engage the creek by providing access
In addition to creating opportunities for the Village and Town of Cobleskill
community to be involved with the campus, such as the farm market and
community-oriented programs, a larger effort can be made to connect
the campus to the community through landscape. The development of
the Cobleskill Creek Trail will provide an amenity on the campus that
attracts students as well as the larger community. Developing this feature
as a public space presents a strong statement about SUNY Cobleskill’s
commitment to being a good neighbor. The trail head should be
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