York University
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Contents |
Case Study
The idea behind the case study was to point out the positives in York University's landscape as well use it as a stepping block for the Valley City State University landscape plan we are proposing to create.
Critique On Reading
Dynamic learning organization
Quote at the beginning of the reading “The best collaborative environments provide the opportunity to meet, share ideas, discuss and learn from one another’s experiences” is something I agree with strongly. It has been noticed here that an environment that doesn’t involve the mind and body totally as well as spur interaction between people using it if intended to do so has missed its point totally .This is exactly is exactly what the main aim of the campus landscape is to do.
Landscape plan goal of York University
The fist quote in the paragraph here is rather lengthy and could have been summarized into one sentence .It doesn’t need to be broken down into component parts as these parts are a repetition of themselves. Here is a suitable replacement for the lengthy paragraphs in the reading. The goal of the landscape is to indulge all individuals who in one way or the other use it mentally and physically through interaction with it and interaction amongst themselves
Action frame work for Keele and Glendon Campus
Talloires Declaration (2002) Presidents Task force on Sustainability report (2001) University common policy (1994)
The actions for all these policies, reports and declarations all seem monotonous to the reader of this landscape plan though they are written in different years .It would be advisable to look over these documentations, summarize them and create one big action plan that takes care of most of the responsibilities these documentations point out.
York University’s secondary plan Keele campus (1991) and York University master plan Keele campus (1987) give a reader the sense of history embedded in the landscape plans of Keele campus, the uses of these plans at York University and its ties to the city of Toronto’s planning commission. History of a campus sites master plan is something you would need if you were employed to carryout some sort of site renovation or expansion.
Glendon campus (history)
History points out the existence of a wood family estate on the Don River valley in Toronto that had been bequeathed to the university to the University of Toronto and then transferred to York. (Interesting fact to know)
Glendon campus was shaped around existent estate homes and grounds that had once existed on its site, preserving some sort of previous history. This to me gives the campus a strong sense of place.
Glendon campus (1961) points out how the campus construction came about during this period , its zoning by-laws .Sale of Glendon properties (etc)All though info is useful it bores the reader .This piece of history could easily be summarized and main points picked out.
Keele Campus (history)
We are informed that Keele is York’s main campus.
Keele’s brief history is precise and easy for the brain to retain. (i.e.) Its establishment in 1960 and its location on agricultural land adjacent to black creek valley (etc)
University experience
Points out the fact that a university’s landscape initial impression on prospective students influences their environmental choice .I agree with this sentence and can ascertain that environments with some sort of aesthetic and functional appeal do tend to draw people back to them continuously especially an environment such as the university landscape.
York university campuses sense of place
Glendon campus sense of place is reflected by its historical qualities with regards to its landscape, buildings and features .Proving that an environment’s sense of place can be predetermined by what actually exists on it, how it was shaped and what historical influence it has had.
Keele campus sense of place is fashioned towards a design plan that takes its influence from “a town center”. (i.e.)A central community and expansive uses around this central community such as development of stores, recreational and institutional activities. (Etc)
Human experience of landscape
Has been categorized well into three distinct points, these point could have been less voluminous than shown.
1) Learning landscape: A landscape where learning is a point of major focus and also individual’s ability to learn from the landscape itself.
2) Social landscape: supports interaction between landscape, its users and the community at large.
3) Temporal landscape: A landscape that is susceptible to change with regards to the four seasons that exist and how they affect the landscape use.
4) Accessible landscape: Ability of the landscape to guide you through its vast expanse with the allocation of distinct transport routes, sign posts and celebrated entrances.
Master plan principles
I liked the ability of one space within York campus to be changed from its intended use to some other use that would serve the campus better.
In this case the commons originally intended for garden purposes now serves as a central area for transit staging around York University.
Versatility of spaces always makes room for change, so as one designs it should be taken into consideration that no space should be designed to stay stagnant. An ability to think about the near future and future design possibilities should enable one to design with room for change in mind.
York University Campus
York University's Landscape is broken up into two campus's that covers 538.46 acres:
Keele Campus (456.95 acres)
Glendon Campus (81.51 acres)
Planning and Design Imperatives for York University
Unity
One of the important design concepts is to keep the unity of the campus. Unity to York University is imperative for planning and the implications of aesthetics, ecology, human experience and environmental quality.
Order
To York University, order is crucial to their campus. When designing their campus they tried to keep a physical order to maintain systems that they have developed throughout the landscape.
Diversity
Diversity is crucial to York's students, faculty, and staff. York University's goal here is to keep an evolving, manipulative, and transforming campus landscape.
Open Spaces
York University wants to eventually, maximize the quantity of campus green space, improve the ecological and aethetic quality of campus green space throughout the woodlot, arboretum, common, and the sports field.
Greenways
A greenway system is proposed for the Keele campus as a part of the campus open space system. This system of walkways is being proposed to create a connection between the four woodlots. The woodlots are remnant forest areas from the original clearing of the land for agriculture that have been and always be protected.
Accessible Landscape
York University uses a term called Wayfinding. This relates to how we move through a landscape and the things in that landscape that we use to tell us where we are, where we want to go and how to get there.
Recreational Landscape
York University has formal and informal playing fields that are obvious places for recreational activity. In the future they would like to respect and maintain these places on campus that contribute positively to a person's life experience.
Vegetation
- Plants are very critical ecological, cultural and aesthetic components of York's landscape. Every plant used on the campus is sustainable, and their plants are used to unify, integrate, order, diversify and distiguish landscape areas
- Keele and Glendon originally part of a vast complex of tableland forests and valley lands between the Oak Ridges Moraine and Lake Ontario
- Keele is bordered by the Black Creek valley, part of the Humber River watershed
- Glendon contains the Don River valley
Commemorative Elements
York University adds meaning to the landscape by providing commemorative elements such as plaques, pavers, benches, trees, rocks, and naming. The university uses these elements throughout the campus to honor the history of the university, and to acknowledge certain people and events.
University Gateways
York University has many gateways into the campus. Each of the entry points to the campus is a transition point from city jurisdiction to York University.
