PRESCOTT COLLEGE
CROSSROADS CENTER CONCEPT

Summary Report
April 1, 2002

Introduction:

In the summer of 2001, President Garvey shared a vision of a facility that would enable Prescott College to bring together on its Prescott campus all members of the College community and the greater world community for research and discussion about the various challenges and opportunities facing our local and global community. This notion was embraced by the College community and a process of putting form and function to this idea began.

The Process and Work So Far:

The process began with the establishment of a coordinating group representative of the various college constituencies. With the support of a planning grant provided by the Max and Bessie Bakal Foundation, the committee researched planning and design partners and subsequently engaged the ECOSA Institute to assist the community in defining the concept and creating a conceptual design. The process included a series of brainstorming creative sessions called “charrettes” in which students, alumni, faculty, and staff identified the basic principals, and the functional makeup, of the plan. The committee, aided by the ECOSA design team, sifted through the information and developed a programming menu based on the outcomes of the college-wide charrettes. Throughout the four month planning period, the committee worked with the design team and a number of external consultants, such as:

• James Wines on design,
• Doug Balcomb on energy systems,
• Pliny Fisk on schematic design,
• Sym Van der Ryn on schematic design, and
• Marc Companion on living machines.

Basic details of the concept include:

• A 14,000 ft2 facility, designed and constructed under the tenets of ecological and sustainable design.
  
• Functional areas will include:
  • Information Commons: a redefined concept of the library that incorporates the traditional academic library with technology and social space.
  • Classrooms/Meeting Rooms: designed to be state-of-the-art and sufficiently flexible to accommodate groups of various sizes for teaching and learning in support of the academic program, as well as for conferences and meetings
  • Café: closely aligned with the information commons and conference services areas to meet the daily needs of the campus community as well as to serve conferences and external groups.
  • Technology/Multimedia Services: to support the information commons and conference services.
  • Lodging: limited housing for individuals who will be engaged in conversation and collaboration with the College.

• Participatory design process
• Restoration of current site(s)
• Multiple uses of space
• Flexible design of spaces
• Appropriate scale
• Building materials
• Green roofs
• Creation/facilitation of “community”
• Reduction in energy utilization
• Creation of energy
• Efficient cooling, heating, water, and other systems
• Multiple bottom lines in decision making: economic, ecological, and social

The Crossroads Center encompasses more than a building. It embraces a notion that Prescott College can and does have a significant role to play in the global conversation about our world and the opportunities and challenges it faces today and into the future. As a facility oriented to this goal, it will position the College and its community of learners squarely in the crossroads of conversation, exploration, and constructive action.

The planning process has gone extremely well to this point and is on track for success in attaining the goal. The current process of increasing awareness and collecting initial feedback is essential to preparedness for the detailed planning process to come.