In 2010, Carleton’s latest Campus Master Plan was unveiled to the Board of Governors. The plan intends to set the physical development of campus in the long term.
The plan, designed by Toronto-based architecture firm du Toit Allsopp Hillier, has a proposal that will increase walkability on campus.
The Charlatan spoke to Darryl Boyce, assistant vice-president (facilities management and planning), about what has already been built, what students can expect to see built or demolished, and changes to an updated plan set to be released next year.
What has been done?
Since the master plan was last unveiled in 2010, the Canal and River Buildings have been completed along with an extension to the Herzberg Building.
The parking lot constructed over the O-Train tracks on the north side of campus was also part of the plan.
A gate is currently being constructed by Mackenzie Building on Library Road that will convert the stretch of road from Prescott House to the gate into a pedestrian zone.
Shovels in the ground
While the master plan intends for more than two dozen new campus buildings, only three are set to be built in the near future.
One building will be built on the southern-most part of the University Centre parking lot.
“We’re working on a design to build a science building for the health science and neuroscience programs and it will be sited in parking lot two right next to Steacie,” Boyce said.
A thorough plan is set to be released in August 2015.
Carleton is looking into replacing the north part of the University Centre parking lot with a new Sprott School of Business building.
In September 2014, the business school received a $10-million donation to construct a new building.
The university also intends to build a new residence building north of Leeds residence where a parking lot currently stands, though there is no concrete plan yet.
“If the business case is solid for that one, we’ll tend to it this summer. If not, we’ll hold it off until next year,” Boyce said.
Demolition
The master plan has three buildings set for eventual demolition and replacement: Paterson Hall, the Social Sciences Research Building, and the Maintenance Building.
The plan has Paterson Hall and the Life Sciences Research Building gradually demolished and replaced with two buildings that will create a green corridor leading from the main quad to the Rideau River.
While there is no thorough plan in place for this to occur any time soon, Paterson will not be renovated in case Carleton moves forward with its demolition.
“We’re not overly investing in them for the long term,” Boyce said. “We’re keeping them functional but we do know the plan some point in time is to actually demolish them to do a more effective expansion of space on campus.”
The 2016 master plan
A new master plan is set to be unveiled in about a year.
The two buildings intended to replace the University Centre parking lot gives Carleton the opportunity to think about how to use the land in between, Boyce said.
“The master plan speaks of the courtyard between the buildings,” he said. “I think this [upcoming] plan gives us the opportunity to look at what we really mean by that.”
