University of Cincinnati: Main St North Plaza

Project Narrative

The University of Cincinnati’s (UC) Main Street North Plaza joins the sculptural Campus Green to the sweeping arc of UC’s Main Street through an artful, sustainable plaza, through which the iconic designs converge in layered, multimodal routes that bring campus members together. The plaza integrates the forms and flavor of each into the new hub at the center of campus. This unified, inclusive community space flowing into the COB melds bus loading, clearly defined walkways and stormwater management landscape features to enhance safety and functionality while connecting users.

Enhancing the campus aesthetic, the braided Campus Green unravels as it flows seamlessly into the robust UC Main Street arc. All paths meet and intertwine through a plaza that passes through the walls of the new College of Business.

An innovative bioswale expresses the UC design paradigm in a beautiful, functional and instructional ladder of rain garden planters, complementing the walkway and seating. Runnels designed as steps provide safe crossings and channel water into cascading planters reducing discharge into the combined sewer system. Wetland plants massed in the planters, echo the UC landscape character and reinforce the COB architecture. New trees set in soil cells detain rainwater, minimizing the need for irrigation

                                           

Project Details