Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 11:43:53 -0700
From: Nancy Wright <nwright@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU>
Subject: DAG minutes
X-Sender: nwright@oregon.uoregon.edu
MIME-version: 1.0
Hello, I am forwarding the minutes of the last meeting to you with a friendly reminder that our next meeting will be Thursday, October 31st at 10:30 AM in the Riley Hall conference located at the corner of 11th and Patterson Streets. Morning break refreshment provided by our catering dept.
10/17/02 Design Advisory Group for Living Learning Center/Residence Hall
In attendance: Audrey Lane, Kerri Morgan, Drew Morgan, Garry Fritz, Tom Driscoll, Ron Bloom, Alex Gordon, Dennis Munroe, Steve Pickett, Fred Tepfer, Nancy Wright
NWright. University Housing will chair, Fred Tepfer,University Planning will facilitate. Introductions were made and Fred Tepfer distributed agenda
Mike Eyster, Director University Housing thanked those in attendance for their willingness to devote time to help us design this new project and provided an overview of goals for a Living Learning Center, stating "the purpose of a residential campus is to promote the academic success of students". He reviewed the need for a new hall noting the last hall was constructed in the mid 60s, average rooms are 150 sq feet, and that not only have student needs changed, but renewed academic alignment with the residential campus aspect has significantly boosted GPAs and student retention.
Fred Tepfer reviewed the planning process related to design phases beginning with preparation of an RFQ for consultants. He distributed a packet of materials including
letter to DAG members from campus planning committee chair
person
role of the DAG, simply stated to make design recommendations to Director of Housing for review by campus planning
university processes
introduction to the LRCDP (note, page 4 was omitted and distributed at mtg so please be sure it is inserted)
precepts and principles of the LRCDP
In his overview of those materials Fred briefly explained how "patterns" have been used in the past as a guideline for quality and responsiveness to need, but that the term design policy may also used. Nancy Wright clarified that for University Housing projects the termdesign policies will be used.
It was clarified that this project has been placed on the capital budget for the '03-'05 biennium scheduled to open fall of '05, thus why we are starting the process at this time, and that it will be fully funded by University Housing which is self supporting.
Question--- concerning site location, and it was clarified that the site decision process is running concurrently with the preparation of the RFQ for consultants, with anticipation that by end of January when consultants are on board, that decision would be complete.
Question---concerning time line. Fred responded that with winter break in near future we are looking realistically at interviewing consultants in January.
Question---- concerning project scope and characteristics that are site related. It was clarified that living learning components and dining services will be included if site is central to campus, and hall would become more of a strictly housing facility if remote from classrooms, although attempts would be made to retain some programming space for a FIG &/or freshman seminars, but food service would be omitted.
NWright distributed and reviewed the design program and conceptual study (attached) completed by residence hall students and staff over the past few years as University Housing sought funding. Student groups recommended and reviewed aspects they liked in their public spaces, student rooms, recreation and service facilities for this document to answer the question "what do you need and want", often asked by those approached during the solicitation for funds.
SPickett stated that flexibility for the future will be vital. Group agreed, and briefly discussed how to include components that would make flexibility within the student rooms possible
Fred clarified the difference between design program and conceptual design ---some examples were as follows:
program conceptual design
basic assumptions/components for new hall schematic
representations
respect for historic development of campus photo of
model at one location for scale
achieve an open/transparent feeling atriums
included similar to Riley Hall
establish optimal student room
flexibility/size configurations recommended by students in
the past
common spaces to accommodate FIGS schematic
relationship to entry, open space and walkways
shared spaces on typical floor pods floor
lounges at atriums to view ground floor common areas
Question---does housing have the funding to do something similar to what is represented in preliminary program.
NWright clarified that housing performas indicate we do, but that approx 400 beds will be needed to fund the debt service, since no outside funding is available.
Additional suggestions included---
avoid requiring residents to leave their floor areas to find common space such as Ham lounges
view first hand some of the areas residents like and dislike
have mtg in Riley hall to view apsects preferred by residents there
visit simliar new facilities on other campuses
Fred discussed next steps, 1) reviewing packets of materials distributed at this mtg and 2) drafting the RFQ for group review.
Group will meet approx every other THursday, working around Thanksgiving. Next mtg will be Oct 31st, 10:30 AM at Riley Hall at the corner of 11th and Patterson. Costumes optional!
__________________
Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2002 12:56:56 -0800
From: Fred Tepfer <ftepfer@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU>
Subject: Re: Living Learning Center design advisory group minutes
Hi everyone,
Here are a few small amplifications and corrections. If this is confusing, please feel free to write back to me, or we can answer questions at our next meeting.
Role of the Design Advisory Group: This group's role is to act on a day-to-day basis as the client for the project, representing the UO in meetings with the architects and engineers. The group makes recommendations to the Director of University Housing, Mike Eyster, who forwards the recommendations, modified as he sees fit, to the Vice President for Administration, Dan Williams, and the Vice President for Student Affairs, Anne Leavitt.
"Patterns", a term from a design process that uses what might be called design templates, is part of the UO's planning process. University Housing prefers to not use this term. Replacing it with "design policies" may be a little misleading, in that patterns do not have the power of policy until adopted and possibly modified by a committee such as this design advisory group. Feel free to call them design policies, bearing this in mind, or design templates if you prefer. Certain patterns that are elements of the UO's Long Range Campus Development Plan are almost certain to be discussed during the design of this project. Where you may see the word "pattern", please just make a substitution, remembering that it isn't really a policy until you collectively decide how this project will respond to the template. It's also very likely that you will create some templates and policies yourselves.
The minutes refer to proposed milestones on the project timeline. I would like to reiterate that the progress of the project depends on many factors, many of which are not under our (the UO's) control. If all goes well, we hope to start the architect selection process this fall, interview prospective firms in January, and negotiate a contract with the preferred firm right after the interview. Based on recent experience, that will lead to initial meetings with the architects no sooner than late February, and quite possibly not until spring term. The schedule is based on a proposed occupancy date of Fall 2005, but we have a clear directive from the Vice Presidents to take enough time to do our task well, even if it means missing that deadline.
University Planning is distributing packets to the DAG that include floor plans of various residence hall units (at a scale of 1/4 inch equals one foot), and floor plans of the residence hall buildings themselves. We hope to add additional materials from other projects around country in the near future. All of the materials to date will be posted on a project website within the next week or so.
see you Thursday,
Fred