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| Completion Date: | 2000 | ||
| Location: | Univ. of Colorado, Boulder | ||
| Awards: | 2001 Boulder Heritage Roundtable, Special Project Award; 2000 CO Chapter ASLA. Land Stewardship Award | ||
| Description: |
As the historic heart of the University of Colorado's beautiful campus in Boulder, Colorado, Norlin Quadrangle is truly a treasured landscape. It is also the definitive feature for the Norlin Quadrangle Historic District, which includes the oldest buildings on campus.
From the completion of Old Main in the 1870's until the dedication of Norlin Library in the 1940's, the Quadrangle evolved into a stately greenward with a canopy of majestic old trees around its edges. But since then, the demands of a modern university with an enrollment exceeding 20,000 students have taken their toll. Realizing the need for a cohesive approach to retaining the historic qualities of the Quadrangle while responding to changing demands, the Norlin Quadrangle Advisory Committee brought in Design Concepts to prepare a master plan. Our research focused on the historic aspects of the Quadrangle, its figural qualities as a three-dimensional volume, and the practical concerns of pedestrian and bicycle circulation. We also addressed the need for new plantings to replace the old and dying trees with new material in a way that would reinforce the form and character of the Quadrangle. Working closely with members of the Advisory Committee, we prepared an exhibit for display in the Heritage Center Museum to solicit input from students, alumni, and the general public. The resulting master plan was a guidebook for management and development of Norlin Quadrangle. Between 1991 and 1999, several significant things occurred: First, historic preservation came into its own nationwide. The federal government released the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and the Supplementary Guidelines for the Treatment of Historic Landscapes. These apply directly to National Register properties such as the Norlin Quadrangle Historic District. Second, numerous changed had occurred within and around the Quadrangle, including a proposed major new classroom building. Third, the administration had commissioned a series of other plans that would affect the District, including a new Campus Master Plan. For these reasons, in 1999, Design Concepts was asked to update the original plan and expand it to a larger portion of the campus. The new document, while prepared separately, was also intended to become a supplement to the Campus Master Plan that was being prepared by others. The new plan follows the approach given in the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, and proposed appropriate preservation strategies for historic landscape resources within the study area. |
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