Firm: The Collaborative Inc.

Design team: Michael J. DiNardo, AIA; Paul R. Hollenbeck, AIA; Richard J. Meyers, FASLA

Client: Heidelberg College; Jeannine Curns, Vice President for Administration

Area: 110 acres

Heidelberg, a private liberal-arts college, is traditional in appearance and serves 1,300 students.

The adverse effect that the aging facilities and grounds had on student recruitment and retention led Heidelberg to develop a campus master plan. A primary purpose of the plan was to address the physical quality of the college and the functionality of the entire campus.

The planners identified several major issues:

• Major streets divided the campus and diminished the college's image and sense of community. The master plan recommends creating new campus entries; identity signage; visitor parking; outdoor plazas and green spaces; crosswalks and improved pedestrian circulation; new central campus outdoor space; and improved lighting.

• A large creek runs that through the campus has become overgrown with vegetation. The master plan calls for embracing the river by creating a more park-like atmosphere with improved landscaping.

• The campus is laid out in essentially two separate pieces. The plan recommends strengthening the connection and turning the southern portion into a recreation and athletics complex.

• The plan includes architectural guidelines to help shape the school's future, while preserving its landmarks.

The master plan identifies future construction priorities, including a 26,000-square-foot renovation and 9,000-square-foot addition, to the existing Campus Center.