Landscape Architect Articles

Binding the Modern and Historic06-01-04 | News

Binding the Modern and Historic

A Distinctive Campus Identity Emerges
at Claremont Graduate University

Two 11-foot stone piers flank the campus entry on each side, spreading out into seven-foot walls that border the campus entry before stepping down again into a lower three-foot, four-inch wall. The piers and walls were constructed out of concrete masonry block and then faced with Autumn Creek ledger stone.

Founded in 1925, The Claremont Colleges are a consortium of seven independent institutions located in Claremont, California.

One of those members, The Claremont Graduate School, changed its name to Claremont Graduate University in 1997.To communicate the change, the university adopted a new logo and graphic identity.

What distinguishes Claremont Graduate University (CGU) from the rest of the consortium is its singular devotion to graduate study. Because of this focus, the university is able to offer a greater breadth of faculty and campus resources than is typical of a university with 2,000 students. At CGU, students are encouraged to pursue personal academic interests and research agendas even when they transcend the boundaries between individual departments.

A quote by James A. Blaisdell, posted on the college website, sums up the proud Claremont College philosophy, ?EUR??,,????'??A college binds the centuries into its dominion. It shapes lives. It fashions generations. It makes history.?EUR??,,????'??

To add to the formal look of the campus, the tops of the stone walls and piers were accented with cast-in-place wall caps that create a formal coping that runs along the crown of the walls.

According to David Salazar, director of facilities at CGU, binding an older campus history to a new campus identity required more than a new logo–it demanded a distinctive landscape that affirmed its proud, unique personality, a personality that would be evident by the time you reach the campus entry. ?EUR??,,????'??We really wanted to redo the historical core of the campus. It?EUR??,,????'???s the administrative hub and it?EUR??,,????'???s also the front door for the public to the campus itself, says Salazar.

The master plan by landscape architect Robert Takata, principal of Takata Assocaiates, called to erect formal walls bordering the campus, along with a formal entry. Another of the main design elements, a round water fountain surrounded by steel benches, is the focal point of the interior campus and a favorite gathering place for students.

Those main design elements announce to visitors that they are now on unique soil?EUR??,,????'??+they have just entered the campus of the Claremont Graduate University.

Master Plan

Takata?EUR??,,????'???s master plan called to merge the identity of historical buildings and fixtures already existing on campus with the look and feel of a modern independent campus still proud of its historical heritage.

To accomplish this synthesis between old and new, materials from stone to light fixtures and park benches were chosen in styles that would fit in with the existing surroundings.

Main Campus Entry and Secondary Gateways

That same attention to detail was lavished on specifying stone for the walls and piers surrounding the campus and at the main entry. ?EUR??,,????'??The main campus gate is an extremely positive image point, says Takata who designed two tall, formal stone piers that flank the entry on each side, spreading out into walls that surround the campus. The piers and walls were constructed out of concrete masonry block and then faced with Autumn Creek legistone, which was specifically chosen to complement stonework on the older buildings on campus.

To add to the formal look of the campus, the stone walls and piers were topped with cast-in-place wall cap custom created by Dura Art Stone.

?EUR??,,????'??The wall cap gives the walls a more finished feel,?EUR??,,????'?? says Takata. It?EUR??,,????'???s almost like a coping that runs along the walls.?EUR??,,????'??

The Claremont Graduate University school seal features three lanterns and two flames in bold colors of red, black and white. This design was custom replicated on two-and-a-half-foot square porcelain enamel signs that adorn monuments around the campus, like the stone walls and columns at the main entry gate. To maintain continuity with the school emblem, custom designed lantern light fixtures (almost three feet in diameter) were fabricated to display two flames on each side, inspired by the flames on the school seal.

To honor the proud college identity, SKA Design created porcelain enamel signs featuring the school seal; these were installed on the stone walls and on the columns of the main gateway.

But, the main entry is not the only beacon of the new college identity. ?EUR??,,????'??There are two smaller secondary stone gateways (one on each side of the campus) that also support the overall image,?EUR??,,????'?? states Takata. ?EUR??,,????'??Those gateways display a combination of monument signs and the school seal.?EUR??,,????'??

Campus Courtyard

Just beyond the main campus gateway, the focal point of the campus landscape is a round, stone water fountain in the center of a small courtyard.

The round stone fountain base was made with concrete block, just like the stone campus walls, but faced with flagstones, instead of the more blocky legistones that are more suitable for walls. The fountain is now endearingly called the Blaisdell fountain, because the infamous Blaisdell quote encircles the fountain itself. ?EUR??,,????'??This was performed as custom concrete work: The words were cast-in-place (giving the quote an etched in stone look) and inserted as a concrete band that circles the fountain,?EUR??,,????'?? asserts Takata.

From the main entry the fountain is a focal point of the campus, drawing visitors inside. ?EUR??,,????'??Once you get closer to the fountain you notice all the smaller things that are happening,?EUR??,,????'?? states Takata. To give the courtyard a more relaxing, pedestrian feel, shade trees were planted around the fountain. ?EUR??,,????'??We also added about 16 steel benches in that area, making it very conducive to talking and studying.?EUR??,,????'?? Decomposed granite was used as a surface for walking paths, ?EUR??,,????'??where we didn?EUR??,,????'???t need a really hard concrete surface,?EUR??,,????'?? says Takata.

Lighting

Custom designed lighting fixtures were installed on top of the two tall piers that flank the main gateway. The custom fixtures specified are large lanterns (three feet in diameter) designed with two flames on the side, inspired by the flames on the school seal. Accent lighting installed on the smaller gateways shine upward, washing the entire wall with light, as well as illuminating the school seal.

Takata also completely updated the pedestrian lighting fixtures in the walkways and open areas. ?EUR??,,????'??All the elements needed to work together–the colors, the color of the sitting benches, the color of the light poles and the style of the lights?EUR??,,????'??+those were all in tune with the pedestrian feel that we were trying to achieve.?EUR??,,????'??

In specifying lighting styles, Takata looked for fixtures that could integrate into a modern historical campus setting. ?EUR??,,????'??We chose five styles of light fixtures, from cape cod to modern styles. What we wanted to do–because the buildings were both old and new–was choose something that would work for both the modern and the old. So, we identified a fixture that was appropriate for those periods.?EUR??,,????'??

Future Development

According to Takata, the important thing about designing toward a campus identity is that product specifications (lighting and stone styles) should remain consistent throughout future developments. Phase two of the landscape master plan will create a new reading garden, complete with seating, landscaping, paving and a small water feature. A new campus walk will connect the Burkle Family Building to the north part of the campus and eventually connect to a future terrace and campus quad.