GORDON STATE
COLLEGE MASTER PLAN
BARNESVILLE, GEORGIA
NOVEMBER 2015
CO N T E N T S
M A S T E R P L A N P R OC E S S .......01
G OA L S A N D S T R AT E G I E S . . . . . . . 15
L A N D S C A P E S PAC E I M P R O V E M E N T S .......25
TA R G E T E D B U I L D I N G I M P R O V E M E N T S........41
I M P L E M E N TAT I O N.......57
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Gordon State College has a more than 160year tradition of post-secondary education in
Barnesville, Georgia. Its proximity to the growing
Atlanta metropolitan area, focus on underserved
students, and its well-regarded Nursing and Allied
Health Sciences program all ensure the college a
continuing and important role in the educational
landscape of central Georgia. This Master Plan
seeks to build on the strong curricular and cultural
fundamentals of Gordon State College, guided
by four principles.
1. Promote consistency
of quality among program
environments and facilities
2. Strengthen the campus
with strategic renovations and infill,
promoting academic collaboration
and facility upgrades
3. Improve connectivity
between the east and west of
College Drive to promote the idea
of “one campus”
4. Establish a cohesive arrival
experience along College Drive
These principles, and the recommended
projects that they support, emerged from
a yearlong planning process that included
extensive stakeholder consultation within the
various divisions of the college, online surveys
of the student, faculty, and staff as well as open
meetings with neighbors, community officials
and Gordon State College Foundation board.
Noting current budget realities within the
University of Georgia system, the planning team
worked diligently to devise a slate of low-cost,
high impact landscape and building renovations
that could be phased in with more substantial
capital projects over a 20-year time horizon. The
result is a vision for Gordon State’s physical
campus that is achievable and can better
support the mission and goals of the College.
Lambdin Hall
M A S T E R P L A N P R OC E S S
The current master planning process for Gordon
State College began in the summer of 2014, and
represents a collaborative effort among Gordon
faculty, staff and students; GSC Foundation, Inc.;
the City of Barnesville; the University System of
Georgia; and Sasaki Associates. The process was
conducted over several phases of work.
The Sasaki team first embarked on a
comprehensive data gathering and discovery
process, which included extended site visits,
facility walkthroughs and evaluations, interviews
with key stakeholders and interactive surveys
of faculty, staff and students. This data was
then analyzed and synthesized, defining and
quantifying Gordon’s changing institutional
profile and related facility needs. Sasaki studied
academic, recreational, financial, environmental,
and student life components, including Gordon’s
relationships within the Barnesville community.
Equipped with these findings, the Sasaki team
worked with the master planning steering
committee to define several scenario frameworks
for physical change. From September 2014
through February 2015, these scenarios were
explored and revised in an iterative process
driven by feedback received during dozens of
onsite meetings with faculty, staff, students, USG
representatives, city officials and community
members. Input from these stakeholders helped
strengthen the understanding of the needs and
concerns of the Gordon community, clarify and
prioritize goals, and synthesize the scenarios into
a preferred direction for the master plan.
The final master plan, presented to the Steering
Committee on May 11, 2015, identifies a physical
direction that will allow Gordon to achieve its
institutional goals within a flexible framework for
future development.
01
Lambdin Hall
EXISTING SITE
P L A N N I N G CO N T E X T
Gordon State College has a more than 160–
year tradition of postsecondary education in
Barnesville, Georgia. Today, Gordon State
primarily serves a student body that commutes
to its campus from throughout the region,
in particular the nearby Atlanta Metro area.
Students can pursue a wide variety of educational
opportunities at Gordon, including two-year
professional offerings, traditional pre-baccalaureate
curricula, and, most recently, baccalaureate
degrees in several high-demand areas of study
and professional practice. Gordon is particularly
recognized throughout the region for its strong
programs in nursing and allied health.
Gordon State’s focus on college preparation
appeals in particular to students who are
traditionally underserved in postsecondary
education, including students with learning
support requirements, underserved minorities,
low income students, and adult learners. Recent
adjustments to admissions standards have
02
limited Gordon’s ability to accept students from
these “high-risk” populations, placing downward
pressure on a significant portion of its student
body. This is manifest by a decline in enrollments
from 5,009 in the 2010-2011 academic year to
approximately 4,000 in the 2014-2015 academic
year. Although efforts have been made to increase
applications, Gordon’s administration recognizes
that future enrollment growth will likely be driven
by increasing student retention.
T H E 2007
MASTER PLAN
& 2011 U P DAT E
WERE GUIDED
BY SEVERAL
PRINCIPLES
R E I N F O R C E G O R DO N ’ S M I S S I O N A N D G OA L S
C R E AT E A CO H E S I V E C A M P U S D E S I G N
PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTS FOR LEARNING
C E L E B R AT E H I S TO R I C O P E N S PAC E S A N D B U I L D I N G S
C R E AT E A N I N T E G R AT E D C I R C U L AT I O N S Y S T E M
D E V E L O P C A M P U S A N D CO M M U N I T Y R E L AT I O N S
Gordon State’s most recent master plan,
completed in 2007 by Sasaki Associates and OJP
Architects and updated by Sasaki in 2011, sets
forth a vision for the long-term development of
the campus that remains relevant, if constrained
by the present budget realities of the University of
Georgia system.
03
Existing entrance to Hightower Library
E X I S T I N G S I T E CO N D I T I O N S
Gordon State College’s campus is located in
a residential district of Barnesville, Georgia,
approximately a half-mile from the town’s
commercial center. College Drive, Barnesville’s
principal north-south artery, divides the campus
into two sections. The western section houses the
campus’s primary academic and administrative
facilities--the core of which is situated around
Lambdin Green, the main quadrangle. The
eastern section is primarily recreational and
residential in character, and contains the majority
of the campus’ student parking. Though College
Drive itself does not pose a great physical
barrier, it is congested, features few pedestrian
crossings, and is bracketed by an extensive brick
wall system with few openings. As such, the
western and eastern sections of Gordon State feel
disconnected from one another.
The campus landscape is maintained with great
care, yet its outdoor spaces are fragmented
and lack an organizing framework. A wooded
lawn provides a distinctive, canopied northern
04
entrance to the campus. Adjacent to it is Lambdin
Green, whose integral position as the campus’s
main quad is undercut by a grade change and
retaining wall system that obscures the entrance
to the library. Current planting results in an
open lawn that lacks protection from the sun,
limiting its use as a space for recreational and
casual use. A sunken amphitheater dominates
the space in front of the main administrative
building that contributes to a sense of separation
between the two sides of campus, reinforced by
the underutilized pedestrian tunnel it connects
to underneath College Drive. The most recent
addition to the campus landscape, the Nursing
Quad, is separated from the rest of the campus by
a retaining wall and guardrail. Residential quads
are the only programmed landscapes on the east
side of campus, and are inwardly focused. The
principal cross-campus open space axis on the
east side is disrupted by an underutilized aquatic
facility.
1
1. Wooded lawn
2. Instructional Complex
3. Alumni Hall parking
2
3
05
KEY
KEY
Great Condition
School of Arts and Sciences
Good Condition
School of Education
Fair Condition
School of Nursing and Health Science
Poor Condition
Academic Affairs
Bad Condition
Student Affairs
Terrible Condition
Business Affairs
EXISTING SITE
B U I L D I N G CO N D I T I O N S
Representatives of Gordon State College led
members of the Sasaki consulting team on a
tour of the campus in the summer of 2014 to
inventory buildings and their condition. Based
on data maintained by Gordon State facilities
management staff, just shy of one-third of floor
area is dedicated to classroom (17%) and
laboratory (14%) use, with over half of floor area
dedicated to offices and meeting space (21%),
general use (21%), and group/quiet study (10%).
Just under a fifth of floor area is dedicated to
support (7%) and specialty uses (11%).
The campus building inventory resulted in
standardized “ratings” of each building based on
its overall quality as well as the characteristics and
suitability of its academic, office, and common
spaces for current and potential future uses.
06
CO L L A B O R AT I O N S U R V E Y
Specific sources of information used in
assembling and validating the ratings include:
»»
Qualitative observations made by Sasaki,
including building walkthroughs;
»»
Facility Condition Assessment services report;
»»
MEP assessment prepared by Gordon State
College.
The diagram on this page uses a chromatic
scale to represent the current ratings of building
quality, from red (poorest condition) to green (best
condition). The average rating was 63%, with
the best conditions found in the Nursing & Allied
Health building (99.5%), and the worst in the
annex building of the Athletic Complex (38.2%)
and Aquatic Center (35.7%).
Offices/Meeting
64,233 ASF
21%
General Use
64,177 ASF
21%
Classrooms
Laboratories
Special Use
Study
Support
43,059 ASF
14%
33,918 ASF
11%
31,144 ASF
10%
21,919 ASF
7%
54,380 ASF
17%
Another aspect of Sasaki’s approach to analysis
and issues identification in campus planning is
to analyze patterns of collaboration across space
to identify opportunities for co-location. This is
especially important for campuses with a heavy
research focus, where agglomeration of research
activities can yield significant benefits with respect
to the return on the institution’s investment in
facilities. For Gordon State, the collaboration
survey indicated the teaching focus of the school,
with the strongest desire lines leading to the
Instructional Complex (western section) and the
Academic Building (eastern section). Thus, while
co-location of these functions wouldn’t necessarily
yield clear financial or efficiency benefits for
the college, this finding supports the notion
of improving the legibility and strength of the
connection between the west and east sides of
campus across College Drive.
07
Instructional Complex 49%
Academic Building 7%
Russell Hall 2%
Student Center 2%
Smith Hall 2%
E X I S T I N G S PAC E
C L A S S R OO M S
Nursing & AH 25%
Instructional Complex 42%
Academic Building 15%
Russell Hall 16%
Nursing & Allied Health
Smith Hall 5%
Instructional Complex
Fine Arts Building 6%
Nursing & AH 13%
08
HOURS IN USE PER WEEK
A total of 54,380 ASF of building area on Gordon
State’s campus is dedicated to classroom uses.
The bulk (76%) of this classroom space is on the
west side of the Gordon State campus. Overall,
classroom utilization at Gordon State is 32%,
suggesting ample capacity, with no classrooms
exceeding the maximum of the target range that
characterizes optimum utilization. This suggests
ample opportunity to support additional and larger
class sections. However, this excess capacity is
not evenly distributed, even on the west side of
campus. The Instructional Complex contains 42%
of all classrooms on campus, including most of the
classrooms (along with Russell Hall) in the college
that are within the target range of utilization.
Fine Arts Building 13%
Athletic Complex 2%
E X I S T I N G S PAC E
LABS
A total of 43,059 ASF of building area on Gordon
State’s campus is dedicated to laboratory
uses. The bulk (89%) of this laboratory space is
dedicated to teaching applications, with only 2%
dedicated to research and testing respectively.
An even higher share of lab space is located on
the west side of the campus, with 49% of labs
located in the Instructional Complex and 25% in
the Nursing and Allied Health building. The labs
in these two buildings experience the highest
utilization demands, with the Nursing and Allied
Health lab exceeding the target rate of utilization
of 40%.
TARGET RANGE
INDIVIDUAL LABORATORIES
09
MY CAMPUS
C A M P U S AC T I V I T Y
MyCampus™ is a proprietary web-based,
interactive survey platform developed by
Sasaki to engage, inform, and collect data from
stakeholders. The data are simultaneously
attitudinal and spatial: they pinpoint how people
perceive, use, and think about opportunities in
places around campus. The MyCampus survey
for Gordon State asked participants to identify
spaces they use for class, collaboration, studying,
socializing, dining, parking, and outdoor time. It
also asked them to trace frequent walking, biking,
and driving paths through and around campus. A
total of 270 students, staff, and faculty participated
in the survey, the majority of whom (69%) were
students. The results of the MyCampus largely
confirmed the patterns observed in the space
utilization analysis, with some additional insights.
10
The Instructional Complex was identified by
most participants as a space they use for various
purposes, including class, studying, and lab. Even
so, many complained about the environmental
quality of the IC with respect to acoustics. The
west side of campus contains the most activity,
and most respondents identified the “heart of
campus” at the Instructional Complex, Lambdin
Green, or the Student Center. Not surprisingly,
reported pedestrian patterns indicated frequent
crossing of College Drive, mostly at the midblock crossing nearest the Student Center. Many
comments also indicated safety concerns related
to the pedestrian experience to and from the
parking lots near the Athletic Complex.
“... I W I S H M O R E
CO U L D B E DO N E
TO B R I N G T H E
TWO HALVES
OF CAMPUS
TOG E T H E R
S O M E H OW .”
HEART OF CAMPUS SURVEY
11
COLLABORATION SURVEY
For Gordon State, the
collaboration survey indicated
the teaching focus of the
school, with the strongest
desire lines leading to the
Instructional Complex (western
section) and the Academic
Building (eastern section).
12
CLASSROOMS SURVEY
The bulk (76%) of the classroom
space is on the west side of the
Gordon State campus.
13
1
3
P R O M OT E
CO N S I S T E N C Y
O F Q UA L I T Y A M O N G
D I F F E R E N T P R OG R A M
ENVIRONMENTS AND
FAC I L I T I E S
I M P R OV E
CO N N E C T I V I T Y
BETWEEN THE EAST AND
W E S T O F CO L L E G E D R I V E
TO P R O M O T E T H E I D E A O F
“ONE CAMPUS”
2
4
STRENGTHEN
THE CAMPUS
W I T H S T R AT E G I C
R E N O VAT I O N S A N D I N F I L L
P R O M O T I N G AC A D E M I C
CO L L A B O R AT I O N A N D
FAC I L I T Y U P G R A D E S
E S TA B L I S H A
CO H E S I V E A R R I VA L
EXPERIENCE ALONG
CO L L E G E D R I V E
G OA L S A N D
S T R AT E G I E S
The MyCampus survey, stakeholder interviews,
and consultation of key facilities staff indicated
a roadmap for this master plan that builds on
the vision of prior plans. The overarching goal
remains the same: to bridge the physical divide
of College Drive and create a unified campus
expression. This plan distills the longer-term
vision of earlier master plans into four goals with
discrete, actionable steps for Gordon State’s
administration and facilities staff. These steps
address the recent shift in growth, enhance the
campus environment to improve the student
experience and reinforce retention and degree
completion. Ultimately they support Gordon’s
legacy of excelling in scholarship and service
within the Georgia community.
15
1
P R O M OT E
CO N S I S T E N C Y
O F Q UA L I T Y A M O N G
D I F F E R E N T P R OG R A M
ENVIRONMENTS AND
FAC I L I T I E S
ATHLETICS/RECREATION
RESIDENTIAL
ACADEMIC
Majority of academic buildings
are on the west side of
campus. Residential quads
and new recreational facility
occupy east side.
As noted in the building conditions, utilization,
and MyCampus surveys, the quality of program
environments and facilities is uneven. There is
inadequate space on campus to support student
life, in particular space for collaborative studying
and group work. What space does exist is
concentrated on the west side of campus, and
co-located with uses that might not be the most
conducive to group work. The lack of such space,
which is important to the process of socializing
students into a higher education and professional
environment, impinges on the College’s ability
to foster student success and retention. This
problem can be solved by focusing future
investments on bringing academic and common
spaces up to a higher standard of quality and
performance. Specific ideas on how this goal
can be achieved are offered in the subsequent
sections on landscape/public realm and building
improvements, but include:
»»
Developing and implementing a unified
palette of materials and interior design
strategies that improve the cohesiveness and
legibility of campus facilities;
»»
Adding spaces conducive to collaboration
and group work.
17
2
STRENGTHEN
THE CAMPUS
W I T H S T R AT E G I C
R E N O VAT I O N S A N D I N F I L L
P R O M O T I N G AC A D E M I C
CO L L A B O R AT I O N A N D
FAC I L I T Y U P G R A D E S
Collaboration
Space
Closely related to the issues behind goal #1 is
the distribution of types of space (programming)
across campus, particularly uses of space that
promote collaboration. Again, the west side
of the campus contains most of the variety of
programing, including classrooms and spaces
for studying and collaboration. Through strategic
renovations in a few targeted buildings on the east
side of campus, as well as more capital-intensive
infill, the distribution of types of space can be
rebalanced between the east and west halves of
campus, critical to achieving a programmatically
unified campus. Specific ideas on how this goal
can be achieved are offered in the subsequent
section on building improvements, but include:
»»
Repositioning and renovating spaces in
targeted buildings on the east side of campus
(Alumni Hall, Academic Building) to diversify
the spectrum of programmed spaces across
campus;
»»
Repositioning and renovating spaces in
targeted buildings on the west side of campus
(Instructional Complex, Student Center) to
consolidate programmed uses, including
tutoring, and promote academic collaboration;
»»
Building additions to Hightower Library and
Smith Hall;
»»
Building new residential hall on the east side
of campus.
19
3
I M P R OV E
CO N N E C T I V I T Y
BETWEEN EAST AND WEST
O F CO L L E G E D R I V E TO
PROMOTE THE IDEA OF
“ONE CAMPUS”
Distribution
of student life
Environmental quality and programming are
important determinants of campus character,
but the landscape and the public realm provide
its ultimate definition. The walled streetscape on
College Drive and frequent use of retaining walls
to address grade change fragment the visual and
pedestrian experience of campus, resulting in a
sense of compartmentalization and disconnection.
Focusing attention on landscape and strategic
upgrades to the public realm of the Gordon State
campus will contribute the most to the idea of
“one campus.”
Specific ideas on how this goal can be achieved are
offered in the subsequent section on landscape/
public realm improvements, and include:
»»
Creating a new residential quad on the east
side of campus that extends the public realm
axis defined by the existing Lambdin Green;
»»
Adding new crosswalks and removing
retaining walls on College Drive;
»»
Improving streetscape experience and
pedestrian safety between parking lots and
the main campus.
21
4
E S TA B L I S H A
CO H E S I V E A R R I VA L
EXPERIENCE ALONG
CO L L E G E D R I V E
The College Drive streetscape is not only
important to physically unifying the east and west
sides of campus, but also to branding the school
and reinforcing the sense of arrival on campus.
Currently, there is no single, iconic point of entry
to the campus. The barriers already noted on
College Drive, as well as the exposed landscape
of the adjacent lawns, do not offer much of a first
impression of campus. Creating a new arrival
experience along College Drive is critical to selling
the College to prospective students and visitors.
Specific ideas on how this goal can be achieved
are offered in the subsequent sections on building
and landscape/public realm improvements, and
include:
»»
Creating a new welcome center on the
recently acquired parcels south of Spencer
Street that provide a programmatic gateway
to campus, allowing admissions and related
functions to consolidate in a “one-stop”
location;
»»
Enhancing tree canopy along College Drive to
define the streetscape and shield it from
direct sun.
23
L A N D S C A P E S PAC E I M P R OV E M E N T S
Landscape is an often overlooked, and yet vital,
element in defining the image of a campus. Outdoor
spaces provide places to assemble, socialize, and
recreate, or to seek a few moments of respite after
class. Since most campuses are organized as
“park-once” environments, most intermediate travel
on campus is conducted on foot, and the character
and structure of landscapes and the public realm
determine the quality of this experience. In this
sense, landscape is the great equalizer of a campus
– everyone uses it, and it is the first and last thing
one encounters when on campus.
Gordon State College’s landscape is well-maintained
and possesses the essential attributes of success.
Yet as noted in earlier sections, the landscape
does not perform its most important function,
which is unifying and orienting the campus. A
few adjustments to the campus’s existing quads
and streetscaping along College Drive, including
improved pedestrian crossings, will do much
to rectify this. The longer-term vision of a new
Residential Quad on the east side of campus will
complete the unification of campus by introducing
a highly legible new axis to the existing Lambdin
Green, to which the core buildings of east campus
will be oriented. This section introduces these
specific landscape ideas in detail.
25
COLLEGE DRIVE
Existing Conditions
CO L L E G E D R I V E
As noted in the initial site conditions survey and
reinforced in conversations with stakeholders and
in the MyCampus survey, College Drive represents
a significant physical barrier separating the east
and west sections of the Gordon State campus.
It also is not especially functional for pedestrian
traffic, with its narrow and exposed sidewalk on
only one side of the road. The vision for College
Drive unfolds with several moves, beginning with
the introduction of new pedestrian crosswalks to
reinforce the future axis of the Residential Quad.
Additional trees should be planted on both sides
of the street to provide continuous canopy cover
along the otherwise exposed street. Longer-term,
the existing brick wall should be removed, and
utilities relocated or buried to accommodate
wider sidewalks on both sides of College Drive.
Additionally, the current mid-block traffic light
should be relocated to the intersection with
Spencer Street, which would slow the flow of
traffic through campus and complement other
streetscape moves. These treatments of College
Drive would help to unify the campus and make it
function as an attractive gateway.
COLLEGE DRIVE
Proposed Streetscape
26
27
AMPHITHEATER Proposed green screen
AMPHITHEATER
Above Existing conditions
Below Proposed intermediate
retrofits to amphitheater
A M P H I T H E AT E R
The current amphitheater outside Lambdin Hall
provides a space for outdoor gathering and
socializing, but is underutilized due to its current
location. The ultimate vision for the campus is to
fill in the amphitheater, and to refocus outdoor
program and gathering spaces in the main
quads. In the interim, however, several steps
can be taken to improve the spatial quality of
the amphitheater. First, new plantings should
be introduced to reduce the hardscape along
College Drive and reinforce the streetscaping
goals, creating a physical and acoustic buffer
between the amphitheater’s retaining wall and the
sidewalk. The current balcony overlook and railing
should be removed as well. Light fixtures around
the perimeter of the amphitheater should also
be reduced or relocated to open up sight lines.
Finally, training vines up the wall will reduce the
overwhelming brick wall.
28
AMPHITHEATER Demolition and relocation
29
LAMBDIN GREEN
Existing conditions (Section cut north-to-south)
LAMBDIN GREEN
LAMBDIN GREEN
Proposed improvements
Lambdin Green is Gordon State’s principal
open space spine, flanked by the most utilized
buildings on the campus. Yet it suffers from overexposure to the sun in some areas and a retaining
wall system that obscures the reconstructed
entrance to the Hightower Library. Several
modifications to the quad could greatly enhance
its performance as an outdoor gathering and
socializing place. Strategic addition of trees and
simplifying the palette of plantings would do
much to enhance the environmental quality and
legibility of the quad, and can be implemented
quickly. Intermediate-term projects that should be
considered are terraced steps from the current
Student Center dining hall and a straightened-out
path between Lambdin and Russell Halls. In the
long run, the College should consider regrading
Lambdin Green’s northeastern edge and creating
a plaza in front of Hightower Library to visually
unify all buildings around the quad.
30
31
N U R S I N G Q UA D
The Nursing Quad is the newest landscaped
space on campus, featuring a grove of trees
providing ample shade for an outdoor seating
area in front of the Nursing Building. It is
disconnected, however, from the main axis of the
campus quad by a sudden change in grade that is
currently mediated by a retaining wall. This should
be replaced with an amphitheater or terrace
system that gradually steps down the grade from
the main quad to the Nursing Quad. A new path
should be added on the east side of the Nursing
Quad, providing additional connections to the
main cross-campus path system that frames the
Residential Quad across College Drive. Finally,
expanding the grove of trees east onto the quad
would provide shade relief to the main diagonal
path to Melton Hall, enhancing the environmental
quality and experience of the pedestrian.
32
NURSING QUAD
Existing conditions
NURSING QUAD
Proposed improvements
33
1
R E S I D E N T I A L Q UA D
The biggest vision for Gordon State is the addition
of a Residential Quad on the east side of campus.
Removing the underutilized Aquatics Center
would open up an east-west axis perpendicular to
the existing Lambdin Green, making the Student
Center the fulcrum of a unified expression of the
public realm on campus. Mid-block crossings of
College Drive aligning with the paths at the edge
of the quad would provide a clear route for crosscampus pedestrian traffic. The new quad would,
importantly, also organize the currently disparate
cluster of buildings on the east side of campus,
with the Academic Building, Alumni Memorial Hall,
Fine Arts Building, and residential halls all fronting
or otherwise directly connected by existing paths
to the new quad.
34
3
4
5
1. Plaza at Academic Building
2. Enhanced connections across College Drive, dense tree plantings
3. Major open space for passive active recreation
2
1
4. Simplified plaza at Memorial Hall
5. Dense trees frame
open space
35
300 / LOT C EXPANSION
728 / LOT C
33 / FACILITIES
KEY
60 / NEW LOT
Existing Parking
New Parking
8 / ALUMNI
203 / LOT D
371 / LOT D
33 / LOT D
9 / GUILLEBEAU
PA R K I N G
Parking at Gordon State College is entirely
provided through surface lots. There are currently
2,040 spaces on campus. Of these, 728 (36%)
are located north of Highlander Way in Lot C, 875
(43%) are located on the east side of campus,
and 347 (17%) are located on the west side of
campus. Lot C’s connection to the campus via
College Drive was cited as feeling unsafe by many
respondents to the MyCampus Survey. While the
landscape improvements suggested for College
Drive address some of these concerns, there is
clearly a need to revisit lighting in and around
Lot C. Beyond those site-specific concerns,
surface lot quality and supply were thought to be
adequate by respondents to the survey.
Ensuring adequate parking supply is clearly a
long-term matter of concern for Gordon State,
as it is with any college with a large commuter
student body. In 2010, Gordon State’s parking
facilities were at 88% of capacity. While updated
capacity figures were not available at the time of
the writing of this plan, the ratio of parking spaces
36
to total campus population was higher entering
the 2014-2015 academic year than in the 20102011 academic year. Thus, while the master plan
envisions a gradual expansion of parking supply,
the phasing and magnitude of these moves
are contingent on increases in enrollment and
retention.
The expansion in parking supply should happen
through three principal moves: construction
of a new lot adjacent to Lot C for 300 cars,
consolidation of existing parking in the recently
acquired parcels south of Spencer Street into a
single lot with 140 stalls, and creation of a new lot
of 60 stalls on the footprint of Gordon Hall (once
demolished, it will be replaced by a new Aquatic
Center).
108 / LOT G
86 / LOT H
160 / LOT E
5 / GA
74 / HONORS
22/ PARKING
59 / MELTON
83 / LOT F
The new lot near Lot C should be viewed as a
longer-term development driven largely by trends
in student enrollment, while the consolidated
lot is intended to serve a relocated campus
replacement Student Services Building.
140 / V1 EXPANSION
37
CAMPUS VISION
The ultimate vision for Gordon State College is of
a vibrant, connected campus that is more legible
and easier to navigate, and contains a variety of
spaces that better serves the needs of students.
Strategic renovation and infill opportunities to
major buildings, explained in greater detail in
the next section and indicated by beige tones in
the diagram on the facing page, accommodate
new spaces for collaborative learning, living oncampus, instruction, and recreation. New paths
through and around campus are indicated in
orange, emphasizing the importance of a unified
quadrangle expression on the west and east sides
of campus. Entries into campus from adjacent
neighborhoods, indicated by orange arrows,
are reinforced by the relocation of demolished
student services and admissions functions to the
consolidated “Replacement Student Services
Building” and the new streetscape expression
along College Drive.
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TA R G E T E D B U I L D I N G I M P R OV E M E N T S
As colleges expand offerings to keep up with
the ever-evolving state of higher education,
learning environments are becoming more
innovative, hands-on, and career-focused
than the “traditional” academic facilities of the
past. Activities that were once relegated to the
classroom have diffused across campus, and as
a result many campus buildings have become
“fused-use” facilities. Libraries, student centers,
residence halls, classroom buildings and research
facilities exhibit elements of technology-enabled
collaboration in both formal and informal space.
These developments have “disrupted” the
traditional notion of class time, and therefore
users’ (both teacher and student) expectations of
the learning space.
Existing academic buildings at Gordon State
lack quality student life space. This is critical
to modern notions of learning, which prize
peer-to-peer interaction and informal and
experiential opportunities. Strategic additions
of student life space within the academic core,
potentially through the repurposing of what
today is uninviting circulation space, can bring
renewed energy and vitality to the center of
campus. In addition to renovations, Gordon
State should consider strategic opportunities
for expanding existing facilities and adding new
ones, particularly in response to some of the big
landscape ideas.
This section introduces specific ideas for
improvements to the campus’s built environment.
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2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
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1
B U I L D I N G R E N O VAT I O N S
AC A D E M I C B U I L D I N G
The Academic Building occupies an important
position on the east side of Gordon State’s
campus, and yet is currently underutilized. Only
six of twelve classrooms in the building are used
for more than 20 hours a week as measured in the
utilization survey. Of the two scheduled labs in the
building, one was used 23 hours a week, while the
other was used for only 8 hours.
The underutilized labs are redesigned as larger
lecture halls, offsetting the loss of the well-utilized
first floor classrooms. An opening to the second
floor introduces vertical relief to the common
study area on the first floor, and visually unites the
two floors. On the second floor, some classroom
space is replaced by lounge and further individual
and group study space.
The proposed renovation plan for the Academic
Building calls for modification to the layout
and program of both floors. On the first floor,
classroom space is replaced with a pair of flexible
study areas to accommodate individual and
collaborative work, while the existing isolated wing
of faculty offices is redistributed around study
areas to facilitate interaction between students
and faculty.
Consolidating the number of classrooms in
the Academic Building from 12 to 9 would
create room for new programming, specifically
collaboration and informal study spaces that the
east side of campus currently lacks.
Academic Building First Floor
Academic Building Second Floor
1. Flexible classrooms
1. Flexible classrooms
2. Offices
WRH = weekly room hours
First Floor Instructional Space Utilization
42
Second Floor Instructional Space Utilization
43
Left and Below
Precedent iLoft Building
(The Innovative Learning
Opportunities for Tomorrow)
at Lorraine County
Community College
Right
Academic Building with
First Floor Redesigned
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2
2
1
3
5
4
5
5
6
1. Auditorium
2. Flexible classrooms
3. New bathrooms
4. Lounge
5. Office
6. Conference room
B U I L D I N G R E N O VAT I O N S
ALUMNI MEMORIAL HALL
Alumni Memorial Hall was the main recreational
facility on the Gordon State campus until the
recent completion of the Student Activity &
Recreation Center. Since that facility opened with
a new competition gym venue, the seating arena
in Alumni Memorial Hall is now redundant.
Flexible rooms could accommodate groups
between 10 and 100 in a variety of setups.
Operable walls allow for acoustical subdivisions,
and partitions on wheels that nest into walls
for storage provide quick and constant
interoperability.
The proposed renovation plan for Alumni
Memorial Hall calls for the replacement of locker
facilities with three new groupings of rooms south
of the existing basketball arena. The new rooms
include private offices, a new meeting room, and
a lounge. On the north side of the building, two
flexible rooms could serve as space for student
life events, club meetings, or classes, while a new
auditorium offers opportunities for larger lecture
classes or assemblies.
Introducing glazing to the façade of Alumni
Memorial Hall will create visual connections
between the flexible rooms, auditorium, and the
new shared plaza with the Student Activity &
Recreation Center.
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F L E X S PAC E P R E C E D E N T S
Innovation is often ignited by constraints—the
challenge to do more with less. At Slippery
Rock University in Pennsylvania, Sasaki recently
completed a new student union that exemplifies
just that. The budget was tight. But the program
requests were plentiful: a tiered student senate
room, a movie theater, a concert venue, banquet
space, a ballroom, conference rooms, and
associated pre-function space. Sasaki created this
exceptionally flexible space, called the theater,
which included:
»»
Polished concrete floors that can be easily
cleaned after movie showings or band
concerts;
»»
Acoustical wood paneled walls and ceiling
to minimize ambient noise and provide an
upscale aesthetic;
»»
Floor to ceiling double-height windows to
provide panoramic views of campus, making
the space attractive for luncheons, weddings,
and lectures;
»»
»»
Black-out shades to darken the room for
movies and other events with projection
needs.
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Retractable seats allowing users to pull out all
rows (totaling 250 seats) for large functions or
fewer rows for more intimate events;
Slippery Rock University Robert M. Smith Student Center
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F L E X S PAC E P R E C E D E N T S
The Design Center at Innosight provides
ultimate flexibility—space that can successfully
accommodate groups from 10 to 100 in a variety
of setups. Operable walls allow for acoustical
subdivisions, while partitions on wheels that
nest into walls for storage provide quick and
constant changeability. Everything is covered in
whiteboard—the space is treated as a lab rather
than a presentation room.
Innosight Innovation Center
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Before Instructional Complex Corridor
B U I L D I N G R E N OVAT I O N S
I N S T R U C T I O N A L CO M P L E X
The Instructional Complex is the most utilized
building on the Gordon State campus. Most
student comments on the MyCampus survey
lamented the congestion of the building, but
indicated strong desires to meet before and after
class for collaborative work in spite of the lack of
space for these purposes.
The proposed renovation plan for the Instructional
Complex calls for the repurposing of currently
unprogrammed space flanking staircases and
the core classrooms in the buildings. A variety
of furniture types and space configurations
flexibly accommodate individual and group
study activities. At landings, casual lounge-style
seating provides room for students to socialize
and unwind. On the second floor, the Instructional
Complex houses a relocated tutoring office to
shorten the distance between spaces of learning
and spaces of support. Additional tutoring and
open computer areas are proposed for the third
and fourth floors.
After Instructional Complex Fourth Floor
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Before Instructional Complex Fourth Floor
After Instructional Complex Corridor
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S M I T H H A L L E X PA N S I O N
Smith Hall currently houses the School of
Education. Long-term (20+ year) growth is
anticipated in this department, which will likely
result in a future expansion of the building.
R E P L AC E M E N T S T U D E N T
SERVICES BUILDING
H I G H TO W E R L I B R A R Y
E X PA N S I O N
The Replacement Student Services Building is a
15,000 square foot new structure proposed for the
west side of campus, on three residential parcels
south of Spencer Street. Admissions, Financial
Aid, and Community Education will all be housed
in this building, consolidating many functions of
student services in a “one-stop” environment. A
140-stall lot will be created to serve the anticipated
utilization of the new building.
Gordon State College engaged architects to
redesign the existing Hightower library as work
began on this master plan. This work informed the
recommendation to regrade the Lambdin Green
to improve the visibility of the entry, and add a
plaza in front of the library. The expanded library
will remove the solid masonry façade, replacing
it with a glazed façade to enable more visual
connection between the interior reading room and
the quad. On both levels, a variety of individual,
group, and tutoring-oriented study spaces are to
be introduced, while the new emphasis on digital
resources and media intersperses computers
and audio-visual stations throughout the book
stacks. In the future, there is also an opportunity
to expand the library to the east.
NEW RESIDENCE HALL
RUSSELL HALL RETROFIT
The new residence hall shown on the north side
of the proposed Residential Quad is a speculative
proposal based on the potential for future growth
in the student body, and in particular the share of
students opting to reside on-campus. This new
building could accommodate 200 beds based
on a program supplied by Gordon State College
planning staff.
Russell Hall currently houses Gordon State’s
Business and Public Service Department, and
contains large lecture halls. Feedback received
from faculty and administration indicated a
problem of acoustics in the ground floor lobby
similar to that experienced in the Instructional
Complex. Interior renovations of existing space in
the lobby will increase opportunities for student
interaction and individual study while mitigating
noise.
R E P L AC E M E N T FAC I L I T I E S
BUILDING
The Replacement Facilities Building is a longer
term (10-15) year project that will be constructed
on the east side of campus, across Gordon
Road. The Facilities division will move to the new
building upon completion, allowing for renovation
of the existing Facilities Building and relocation of
Gordon Hall functions to the renovated building,
Upon completion of this reshuffling, Gordon Hall
will be demolished and replaced with a parking lot
and Aquatic Center in the long term.
AQ UAT I C C E N T E R
R E P L AC E M E N T
The Aquatic Center Replacement will host an
open competition size pool with additional locker
rooms and support ammenities. It would be built
in the site of the demolished Gordon Hall along
with a surface parking lot.
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I M P L E M E N TAT I O N
The vision articulated in the Master Plan cannot
be achieved overnight. This section articulates a
recommended phasing strategy for the projects
described in earlier sections over a greater than
10-year time frame. It takes into account the
complexities of executing construction work while
minimizing disruption to college operations, as
well as the longer investment time frames of the
City of Barnesville on some of the recommended
improvements to public right-of-ways.
When all of this work is complete, Gordon State
College will be a more vibrant, connected, and
supportive environment for students, faculty, and staff.
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8
5- Y E A R P L A N
20 1 5–2 0 2 0
1
6
2
5
Gordon State College should begin renovations
of Alumni Memorial Hall immediately. The first
phase of renovations should be to the south side
of the hall, encompassing the meeting room,
lounge, and office functions. The renovations to
the north side, including the introduction of an
auditorium and flexible classroom spaces, should
follow closely thereafter. The renovations to both
floors of the Academic Building as well as the
Instructional Complex should also be prioritized
for the first five years of capital work. Focusing
attention on this trio of building improvement
projects will demonstrate “quick wins” in moving
toward the goals expressed in the Master Plan.
7
4
3
In short-term, should enrollment justify it, the
expansion of Lot C should be completed.
1. Alumni Hall renovation North Side
2. Alumni Hall renovation South Side
3. Academic Building renovation 1st Floor
Several surrounding properties may become
available for purchase. They should be
recommended for future acquisitions as a
means to consolidate the campus boundaries.
4. Academic Building renovation 2nd Floor
5. Russell Hall retrofit
6. Instructional Complex retrofit
7. New Residence Hall
8. Parking Lot C expansion
Replacement building
Renovation
Gordon property boundary
Future acquisition
59
5–10 Y E A R P L A N
20 2 0 –2 0 3 0
Several larger capital projects are proposed
for the 5-10 year time horizon. One is the
replacement Student Services Building south of
Spencer Street, and the 140 car lot supporting
it. This will require demolition of the three
existing residential structures on the parcels, and
relocation of the Institutional Effectiveness and
Institutional Research offices to Lambdin Hall.
The expansion of Hightower Library, with planning
already in progress, will also be completed.
Should enrollment justify it, the new 200-bed
dormitory on the Residential Quad can be built.
2
5
4
6
7
3
8
1. Remove Spencer Street houses and replace with Student Services Building
The bulk of the proposed landscape
improvements should occur within 5-10 years of
completion of the Master Plan. The amphitheater
upgrades, new Residential Quad on the east side
of campus, and streetscaping of College Drive are
all proposed for this timeframe.
2. Hightower Library expansion
3. Smith Hall expansion
4. Amphitheater upgrades
1
5. New Residential Gateway
6. New Trees along
College Drive
7. Bury utility lines
8. New crosswalks and wall removal
Replacement building
Renovation
Gordon property boundary
Future acquisition
61
10+ Y E A R P L A N
2025 O N WA R D
2
4
Within ten years, many of the major campusunifying moves will be complete, leaving a
number of projects that enhance the efficiency
and utilization of various spaces on campus
for the 10+ year time horizon. A new facilities
building is proposed for the northeast corner
of campus, adjacent to the Athletics Complex.
Upon its completion, the existing Facilities Hall
will be renovated, functions currently based in
Gordon Hall will be moved to the new facility.
Gordon Hall should be demolished and replaced
with a surface parking lot and the competition
size Aquatic Center Replacement. Improvements
to the Nursing Quad, including regrading and
introduction of new paths, should be completed in
this time horizon. Finally, the amphitheater should
be filled in, and an at-grade crosswalk developed
across College Drive.
3
5
1
1. Nursing Quad improvements
2. New Facilities Building
3. Renovate Old Facilities Building
4. Aquatic Center replacement
5. Amphitheater integration
Replacement building
Renovation
Gordon property boundary
Future acquisition
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O U R T H A N K S TO
M A S T E R P L A N N I N G A DV I S O R Y CO M M I T T E E
JEFF HAYES
Interim Vice President
for Operations
JEFF ROGERS
Chair of Faculty Senate
JUSTIN WHITE
Staff Council
ORNELLA OLUWOLE SGA
President of Student
Government Association
TRUMAN BOYLE
Chair of Alumni Association
PHILLIP BELL
Foundation Representative
& Community Leader
RICHARD VEREEN
Director of Facilities
SONYA GAITHER
Director of the Hightower Library
BEN FERGUSON
Director of Admissions
MAX BURNS
President
66