Office campuses should present a unified character because it lends credibility, professionalism and brand identity, as well as enabling efficient access and circulation around the site for pedestrians and vehicles.
While it is ideal to plan for a cohesive design before construction begins, a commitment to unify a campus can be made at any time in its life cycle, through strategic site design and a comprehensive master planning process.
What makes a corporate campus feel like a campus? While green grass comes to mind, a vast, bucolic setting is not necessary. If a campus has a sense of unity, employees and visitors will immediately know when they have entered its perimeter and will have a clear sense of how to reach desired buildings, check-in desks and the like.
A harmonious interplay of buildings, grounds, programming, security and layout creates a cohesive campus and contributes to efficient pedestrian and vehicular circulation. A consistent "site vocabulary" is also critical in the unification of a corporate campus. Uniform signage and graphics, hierarchical paving, site furniture, fencing and edging lend legibility, orientation and clear boundaries and perimeters.
The most lasting, effective and economical way to achieve campus unity is to establish a master plan, which can outline standards for elements such as signage, fencing, receptacles and furniture and prevent the inconsistencies and hodgepodge feel that arise from ad hoc improvements. Investing time and resources into creating a master plan also streamlines decision-making and helps predict costs into the future.
Once the decision is made to strive for an enhanced campus feel and a master plan has been developed, a design firm can add greens between buildings, as well as paving and fencing to establish a more pedestrian character; create a clear entry experience; incorporate a campus focal point or icon, such as a fountain; and develop or enhance a campus promenade.
A Unified Front: Wyeth Inc.
Geller DeVellis recently completed a comprehensive master plan for Wyeth's campus in Cambridge, Mass. Wyeth had purchased three buildings on 7.5 acres to serve as a satellite research and development complex to their headquarters in Andover, Mass. The three buildings were very different architecturally and were located on non-uniform sites, mostly consisting of parking lots and other paved areas. A main city street also separated one of the buildings from the other two.
The landscape architects created a master plan that reorganized the site and established consistency, through strategic material selection. The master plan also provided cost estimates and created a phasing plan so that Wyeth could incorporate financial resources into the proper year and plan for site construction on an occupied campus.
Because Wyeth had a fixed budget for the project, the master plan also prioritized landscape features and focused the budget to meet the campus unification goals. The overall cost to unify the campus and improve pedestrian and vehicular circulation was over $2 million. It was completed in two phases, by Fall 2005.
The three existing buildings were architecturally dissimilar, as were the sites on which each building sat, so the landscape architects had to strategically select consistent materials and reorganize each site. This cohesive campus appearance was achieved by:
Adding building entryways with outdoor seating and garden areas, featuring bluestone pavers inset in peastone. Although each of the three sites was incongruent, the consistent outdoor seating and garden areas placed at the entryway of each building gave the campus a more unified character. The use of peastone, a pervious material, was a strategic green design element as well. Because the site is in a flood zone and the city did not want to add drainage to the already overburdened municipal system, the site designers created water gardens in planting areas and used peastone, which would allow stormwater to infiltrate back into the ground instead of sheeting the water off-site.
AInstalling consistent plant materials in entryway gardens and in other designated areas throughout each site. Trees, shrubs and perennials that provided seasonal interest and low maintenance were planted near each building as well as along the main road.
APlacing similar site furnishings on each site. Similarly, site furnishings (benches, trash receptacles, bollards) were placed in front of each building to create a cohesive esthetic.
ASiting consistent light fixtures around each building. Like the consistent plantings and site furnishings, uniform lighting installed at each site also provided a unified campus appearance. These pedestrian-scale cut-off light fixtures were also a green design element, due to their downward angle that reduces light pollution.
ADesigning a unified identity along the street edge. Because a major city street separates one building from the other two, the site designers extended the consistent site materials - like fencing and street trees - along the street edge, creating a delineated entrance to the campus.
Pedestrian/Vehicular Circulation
While a consistent esthetic is key to creating campus character, an office campus cannot achieve unification without efficient and clear pedestrian and vehicular circulation. At Wyeth's Cambridge campus, the landscape architects provided a detailed plan to improve pedestrian circulation and create easy connections between the three existing buildings. Included in the master plan's pedestrian circulation recommendation was:
The reduction of vehicular pavements and reorganization of parking lots and roadways. The existing campus "desire lines" - the routes most often used by pedestrians - were through parking lots, thus creating a higher potential for vehicular/pedestrian conflicts. The Wyeth master plan called for a reduction in parking lots and roadways, and in its place, sidewalks designed through landscaped areas using consistent materials throughout each separate site. The plan also recommended the elimination of redundant drop off areas. This design resulted in no net loss of spaces, while considerably reducing pavement. The reduction in impervious pavements was also a green tactic, since it allows stormwater to be absorbed by the ground instead of collecting in a basin and being sent off-site.
In addition, landscape architects established a strong pedestrian connection across the main city street and between all three buildings to unify the campus. Through curb cuts, accessible ramps and strategically sited crosswalks, designers created a visibly strong connection between buildings and a safer crossing.
The addition of pedestrian-scale lighting, garden areas and site furniture to provide an easily maneuverable and attractive site that would encourage pedestrian circulation.
The improvement of "wayfinding" on campus. By relocating existing signage - including building identification and signage at exits and entrances - to more strategic locations, the site designers improved wayfinding on campus, providing clear direction for both pedestrians and vehicles, and creating a strong connection between different site components.
As the needs of corporations evolve and retail shops, fitness centers and other amenities continue to be popular additions to existing office parks, it is likely that more and more companies will expand their campuses. For expanding office parks, new construction and existing corporate campuses lacking uniformity, a comprehensive master plan can help create a cohesive campus and provide a clear picture of future renovations that will maintain and even improve campus unity and character.
Robert M. Corning is a partner at Geller DeVellis Inc. With offices in Boston and Wellesley, Mass., a provider of landscape architecture, site planning and civil engineering services.
