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Master Planning for the Future

By Nathan Woods, AIA, NCARB

July 6, 2022
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The Covid-19 pandemic shifted the way our students and educators live, play, and learn.

While some of these impacts faded as outbreaks became less frequent, we saw many areas where the pandemic accelerated trends that were already underway. Right now, in higher education, there is a window of opportunity. However, this window is narrowing, and now is the ideal time to be carrying the enhanced agility and collaboration created on college campuses during the pandemic.

What is a master plan?

A master plan is the first step to updating a college or university’s strategic plan. It’s a roadmap for how the university will shape its physical spaces to align with and enhance its strategic goals. For most plans that includes goals related to enrollment, on-campus residential targets, optimized space utilization, as well as enhancing student engagement and success. In short, an effective master planning process will result in a plan that will be able to multiply the effectiveness of a strong strategic plan.
Master Planning
Master Planning
Master Planning

     What does a great master plan look like?

  1. Prioritization of needs
  2. Future developments/renovations
  3. Regulations/zoning standards
  4. Long-term investment plan
  5. Sustainability features/environmental conservation
Master Planning

What are questions to be asking and trends we are seeing?

While the deliverables of a master plan look similar to the past, the questions we’re asking, and being asked, have started to show acceleration around some specific trends that are good thought-starters for most explorations.

  • How can spaces be evolved to better serve the needs of today’s students and faculty?
  • Are there new/unexpected ways that we can differentiate ourselves for tomorrow’s student?
  • How will legislation like the College Transparency Act and other public scrutiny affect the curriculum that colleges and universities continue to provide?
  • How can we take the lessons witnessed about the value of outdoor spaces to create low-cost, high-value, 3rd spaces?

The items illustrated above are just a few of the existing themes that we’ve been seeing. But every campus and master plan is unique. Exceptional master plans take some time to accomplish, so if you are considering starting your college or university in that direction, the best advice is to start moving forward now.

Ready to plan for the future of your campus? A thoughtful master plan can help higher education institutions make strategic decisions about space, resources, and investment while staying focused on their long-term vision. Reach out to our team to talk about how we can help you create a campus plan that responds to today’s priorities and prepares your institution for what’s next.

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