In Building Type Basics for Colleges and University Facilities, David Neuman, university architect and associate vice provost for planning at Stanford University, provides an interesting and in-depth insight of the specific and unique design concepts for the design and planning of university/college campuses and accompanying buildings.
Neuman contends that the key to creating successful designs and layouts for university/college facilities lies in the implementation of what he coins as the “Three Ps”: planning, programming, and perseverance. He states that effective planning should not only involve the layout design of the university/college setting, but must also involve “long-term capital planning” and address such issues as budget and schedule for a given project. In addition, he stresses that programming must be developed as a way of positioning each specific facility on the university or college campus to interface effectively with each other. Lastly, he cites perseverance as a critical element in the design and construction of colleges and universities in promoting the institution’s image, identity, and mission.
To achieve these objectives, the author (with the assistance of other design experts) provides specific design considerations, site planning recommendations, programming, and building code requirements for various college/university facilities such as professional schools, libraries, laboratories, housing, and sport/recreational buildings. The publication also features an abundance of photos and diagrams that illustrate effective layout designs and formatting for each of these structures. Moreover, the guide covers procedures for developing designs for utility systems within these facilities such as plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and telecommunications.
While the subject of architectural and engineering design and planning of colleges and universities is challenging and complex (in that campus settings comprise of numerous and varied facilities), Neuman effectively informs the reader on how to design the various buildings that make up college/university campuses. To illustrate examples of efficient college structures, the book showcases numerous photos that depict the interior and exterior of some of the most state-of-the-art college facilities in the country. The publication also features an eight-page, color-photo section that magnificently captures the architectural splendor of various collegiate facilities on campuses around the world.
However, the shortcoming of the publication is that Neuman does not address the critical issue of project delivery methodology in the design and construction of college and university facilities. While he asserts that “capital planning,” particularly in regard to construction cost and schedule, is a highly essential element of achieving success in the design and construction of campus facilities, he does not consider how certain project delivery methods such as design-build could greatly facilitate this process.
Furthermore, throughout the publication Neuman invariably stresses the use of sustainability in his vision of constructing environmentally friendly, energy efficient structures. In an effort to illustrate the principles of sustainability, a chapter of the book is specifically devoted to a case analysis of some of the most world’s most efficient and sustainable institutions of higher learning. However, while he makes the contention that sustainable principles can be best achieved through “an integrated development process” of design and construction, an allusion to integrated project delivery, he fails to address alternative delivery strategies and explain how the approach can significantly enhance the sustainability process.
Nevertheless, any architect or engineer wanting to know the specific requirements for developing designs and plans for college and university facilities would find Building Type Basics for Colleges and University Facilities to be a highly useful resource. David Neuman provides a comprehensive view of the most effective methods of developing designs and plans for university and college campuses as well as the buildings within these settings.
To place an order for Building Type Basics for College and University Facilities, please visit the web site (www.dbia.org) to use the on-line ordering system. The cost of Building Type Basics for College and University Facilities is $58.00, plus shipping and handling. DBIA will reduce this cost by five percent for orders received by January 13, 2006.