Taking a look back at our 2016 Professional Practice Network (PPN) survey, the first question asked members to think back to their time as a student: what was your absolute favorite spot on campus?
The most popular responses—the quad, the student union, and, no surprises here, the studio—highlighted places central both to all students’ experiences, and spaces of special significance to future landscape architects. Besides the studio, nearly all responses touched on outdoor spots, from arboreta on campus to duck and turtle ponds and residential courtyards.
Perhaps the most interesting subset of answers might be those given by the Campus Planning & Design PPN members, as the campus specialists. Here are their top picks for favorite campus locales:
Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Kansas State University
Harvard Yard – “Old version, not new redone one.”
Hornbake Plaza, University of Maryland
“Intimate, off the beaten path seating area, surrounded by walls.”
“Spot on quad for people watching.”
Studio
The banks of the Providence River at RISD
The UW-Madison Memorial Union Terrace
“The various under-traveled pedestrian ways.”
Below, we highlight other special places on campus picked by ASLA’s PPN members.
University-Specific Favorite Places
Christy Woods, Ball State University
Court of North Carolina, North Carolina State University
Dexter Lawn, Cal Poly –“The people watching was phenomenal.”
Durfee Conservatory, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Fisher Fine Arts Library (Furness Library), University of Pennsylvania
Forum patio, Grinnell College
Founders Garden, University of Georgia
Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden, University of California, Los Angeles
Gorge running through campus, Cornell University
Horsebarn Hill, University of Connecticut – “Overlook of campus.”
McKeldin Mall, University of Maryland
View of Lake Mendota from the hill next to the Observatory, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Muir Knoll, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Military Walk and the Academic Building Area, Texas A&M University
Mirror Lake, The Ohio State University
Old Main Lawn, Penn State University
Passion Puddle, Rutgers University – “A large bowl-shaped green space with mature trees.”
Quad outside the library, Iowa State University
Strawberry Creek, University of California, Berkeley
The Diag, University of Michigan
The LA studio in the old dairy barn, Texas Tech University
The Lawn, University of Virginia
The Oval, The Ohio State University
The shady quad west of Lawrence Hall, University of Oregon
The turtle pond by the biology department greenhouses, The University of Texas at Austin
The west end of Bosco Student Plaza, Kansas State University
Theta Pond, Oklahoma State University – “Very nice aquatic environmental in the dry plains.”
Thornden Park, near Syracuse University
Plant-Specific Favorites
“An open wooded spot with big trees and Rhododendrons.”
“Carpinus caroliniana in front of school of natural resources.”
“In the UMASS arboretum standing at the base of the huge Liquidambar styraciflua.”
“Redwood grove of trees along a creek that flowed through campus.”
“Sitting under the large, mature Ostrya virginiana. It was in a semi-secluded area.”
“The circle of large conifer trees in front of the student union.”
“The grove of oak trees in front of Lehotsky and the P&A buildings.” – Clemson University
“The Mall, with all healthy elms arching over the space.”
“Under a large old Oak, that looked out onto large courtyard (good for people watching).”
“Under the 100 plus year old trees on North Campus at the University of Georgia.”
“Walkway between 2 dorms w/ canopy of mock orange trees.”
Other responses touched on key features and certain recurring places, without naming the specific institution:
Quads & Courtyards
“A campus green lawn with sun and shade.”
“A plaza outside the campus library under a tree on a sunny day.”
“Hanging out by the central fountain by the student center.”
“The busiest courtyard/crossroad path.”
Gardens & Arboreta
“Botanical conservatory.”
“The campus arboretum.”
“The greenhouses.”
“The sculpture garden; the arboretum was a close second.”
“The small formal gardens adjacent to the graduate school.”
Campus Nooks & Crannies
“A hidden courtyard referred to as the ‘secret garden.'”
“All the places you’re not supposed to go (rooftops, gorges).”
“A quiet courtyard off the beaten path.”
“A small amphitheater near the library.”
“Balcony outside the studio, 3rd floor.”
“Cloistered garden with microclimate, protected from wind.”
“Our own built cubicle around our drafting table.”
“Smallest residential courtyard.”
“The cozy library with a great view of the campus and lots of places to plug in my laptop.”
At the start of 2016, a questionnaire was sent out to members of ASLA’s Professional Practice Networks (PPNs). To create the questions, we opened the survey-making process to our PPN leadership, asking each group to contribute one question that would then be shared with all 10,000+ collective PPN members. Responses were varied, and included many insightful comments and suggestions. Synopses of the survey results were originally shared in LAND over the course of 2016, and we are now re-posting this information here on The Field.