Multi-User Community Campus Case Study – Bel Air Campus

August 27th, 2010

While it is nearly September and the start of school has already begun, you may notice the changes that have been completed at Bel Air High School.  Work was started in 2007 on the athletic fields as part of the replacement of the aging facility.

While the school provides a space for education, it also functions as much more in the Bel Air community. It is a source of recreation, offering walking trails, playgrounds, gathering spaces and land for passive recreation. The whole campus serves as a meeting place, pedestrian corridor, and a green island in the semi-urban area.

The Plan

When started, goals were set to replace the high school and elementary school. Key challenges arose in the planning process of the multi-use campus.

1. Parking Issues
2. Circulation of Pedestrians and Vehicles
3. Operation of Facilities while Construction was underway.

Overcoming Issues

The vision became clear: alternating green space and built elements allowed for several problems to be addressed. Parking could be shared, green areas were created to serve as transition space, and smaller parking areas were created to provide for space for important features , like the athletic fields or other park elements.

Construction

Construction commenced on the new high school while keeping the existing one open, while construction for the new elementary school is not yet scheduled.

Overall Outcome

The planning presented several challenges, but the combination of proper communication and cooperation allowed for these problems to become opportunities. Unique solutions were discovered to create a distinct character for the overall campus.

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Case Study