As the university continues its $300 million expansion, Carnegie Mellon Director of Design Bob Reppe explained the Oakland institution's approach to growth at a recent breakfast hosted by the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Rethinking what the center of campus will be at Carnegie Mellon University
As the university continues its $300 million expansion, Carnegie Mellon Director of Design Bob Reppe explained the Oakland institution's approach to growth at a recent breakfast hosted by the Engineers' Society of Western Pennsylvania.
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My memories of CMU when I was little are so different from the way it is now, in large part due to the addition of Gates. I can't imagine what it would have been like to attend CMU without it. That being said I like that the campus is small and kind of cozy. Having back to back classes on the far sides of campus is a little inconvenient but it just means I have to walk a little faster. I would assume the pros far outweigh the cons but I feel bad for the students in the future who are going to have sprint every day from Baker across Forbes and potentially down to Craig st. If Gates is any example though any new buildings are gonna be really beautiful.
I think that this is great that this is happening and although it is still in the early stages of development, I wish they would provide more potential designs. I think that it is a good idea that they are trying to make a presence on Forbes Avenue because when driving down Forbes, it does not generate a campus feeling at all, which is okay in certain instances but the campus does not feel welcoming. There is large cut between the UC and Purnell that for some reason feels intimidating, perhaps because of the tall, long buildings with right angles. I like the one rendering with this article because of the amount of glass that is in the design, which I think will be helpful especially with a building like the University Center.
I am pretty sad that CMU is deciding to build all of these gorgeous buildings just as my time is winding down here. With that said, I think it is great that CMU is making the University Center into a more attractive, central part of our campus. The University Center is a really special place, when you think about it. It is the one building that all CMU students, faculty, and staff have in common. It is also often the first building visitors enter when coming to campus. I think it is of extreme importance for this building to emulate the diverse community that makes up CMU. I also really like what this designer for the UC expansion says about making Forbes into a celebration of educational institutions in Pittsburgh. It is true that many colleges and universities reside on Forbes Avenue. As one of the biggest educational cities in the world, I think it is important for not just CMU, but all universities in Pittsburgh to take pride in this fact.
Our campus here at Carnegie Mellon University has a very interesting layout, as most college campuses do. The Purnell Center for the Arts, where basically everything School of Drama related occurs, sits in-between two of the major computer science buildings (Gates and Cyert Hall). I think that this is very smart thinking on the University's planning. I say this because in some ways it forces students who would never cross paths to have some kind of interaction with each other. This could be as simple as just walking to class together. This exposure I think is really nice, and I can't wait to see what else is done with all the new construction.
I think it is great that CMU is building new buildings and becoming more of Pittsburgh. The new addition to the UC will definitely open up the campus to Forbes Ave more. The glass is very inviting and it gives the campus a more modern look. I am also interested in what the Tepper Quad will look like. It will be very different to have academic buildings on the other side of Forbes Ave. It will make Forbes Ave feel more included in the campus as a whole. Those buildings will also be very convenient for people living in Morewood, Stever, and Mudge.
THANK GOD. Our campus needs a series makeover. While they are at it, why don't they get rid of wean. The forbes entrance of our campus is so poorly thought out! We have no entrance except for Walking to the Sky, which is not an entrance at all. I've seen a few more renderings and models of the expansion that they are currently undergoing and I think they are finally trying to make the campus more logical. I am interested how the sleek modern aesthetic of the new UC expansion will blend with the yellow brick. I'm not sure they will have completed by the time I graduate, but I am really excited to be here during such a time of expansion for our school!
I would love to read more about what the proposed additions will be used for and why expansion is needed. In addition to agreeing with Isaac that potentially having 10 minutes to make it from Margaret Morrison to Forbes and Craig sounds exhausting, I can't help but wonder if we are just building to have more buildings, or if this space will truly improve the research and educational opportunities available to students and faculty. That may be a little naive of me, I understand that it's much more outwardly impressive to have an attractive, unified campus than to increase spending on student services such as health services, financial aid, etc. I just feel this may be part of the recruiting arms race universities are using to attract more students and charge more tuition. I'm not nearly well-read enough on this to decide whether it is or not, but there has to be a ceiling in the cost of a college education that is going to be smashed into at top speed sometime in the future, and a larger, expansive university has a much higher margin of obligations and infrastructure that cannot be cut.
I think these are some great developments coming up. Yes, Carnegie Mellon needs a makeover, but it also ought to be more open to Pittsburgh. I'm glad that we're going to have a building that announces, "This is Carnegie Mellon!" I remember when I was moving in, my mother kept saying, "Where is the Carnegie Mellon sign? Do you not have one? What am I supposed to take your picture in front of?" And while that is a somewhat petty example, she makes a valid point. What is it about our two yellow brick buildings and Walk to the Sky statue that says "Welcome to CMU, world class university"? Not much.
I think this is a very important and exciting addition to the campus that will add to both student life and local perception of the school.
I really want to see the floor plan of this building, the rendering is nice but it gives no insight to what it adds to the surrounding area. I thought the same thing when I first came to campus, it felt very unwelcoming, uncharming, and intimidating. I often talk with friends about the small things that could really add to the campus. our campus is very small in comparison to campuses all over the country so its hard to see why our campus looks so unwelcoming. I've always thought it was just because be focused our money in the students education technology, in other words the innovation of CMU students. If CMU keeps updating the campus in these ways hopefully it's reputation of being one of the greatest schools in the country will match with our campus aesthetic.
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