Project Description
The campus master plan for the Universidad de Monterrey was created to help guide the institution in the development of new academic facilities, housing and open spaces. The plan is the most recent update of the original campus plan created by Lewis May, FASLA, nearly 30 years ago. It responds, in particular, to the need to create a long-range comprehensive plan for the 52-hectare campus, including the newly acquired 14 hectares west of the existing campus. The plan provides specific ideas for addressing current needs of the university, as well as concepts to anticipate its future changing needs.
Main campus developments in this master plan include the relocation of the campus main entrance, a redesigned vehicular circulation and parking system to reduce/limit inner-campus vehicular traffic and favor pedestrian circulation toward a vehicle-free academic core, a comprehensive open space and pedestrian campus structure including a pedestrian connection between the professional and high school sectors of the campus, a campus security plan and a campus landmark siting plan. One critical decision was to place a tunnel under the campus property to extend a very busy street – linking two municipalities – which the city and state wanted to extend through the campus, literally cutting it in half. The planning team negotiated with city and state officials to select the tunnel, or submerged street, option.
New campus components in this master plan update include the Roberto Garza Sada Center, future academic buildings, student housing expansion buildings, a new health and fitness center, a natatorium, a performing arts center, the campus church, a dining hall and event center, new sport and recreation fields, a life/nature trail and a greenhouse/tree nursery.
In addition to the original master plan, planning and landscape architecture services have been provided for three campus master plan updates, a housing master plan, a learning technologies and resource master plan, a residential concept design study and capital campaign and fund raising strategies.
