What's new on campus

In the summer/fall issue of the Lewis & Clark Chronicle, we showed you what Fir Acres Estate looked like before it became Lewis & Clark College. In this issue, we give you a bird's eye view of your evolving alma mater with its lush green glade, towering bronze sculptures and a new athletic field. We invite you to come and visit. Where cars once parked, green grass grows. Where faculty and students dodged vehicles on their way to class, teak benches entice them to sit and read. A wooded pedestrian path replaces a road. Handsome stone walls replace an unsightly parking lot. A bluestone terrace invites students and faculty to gather. It's all part of the College's plan to move cars from the heart of campus to the perimeter and to create a place where people can walk safely and will delight in doing so. Last summer, the College removed the asphalt parking lot east of Aubrey Watzek Library and replaced it with an elliptical glade, sweeping pathways, hand-hewn stone walls and a terrace. "We designed the area as a transition between the historic Frank Manor House with its formal gardens and the academic core," says J. Douglas Macy, principal in charge of design at Walker Macy Landscape Architects. "The terrace and the glade also work together as a place for students to gather for events, such as theatrical performances and concerts," he notes. "We built the glade like we would build a sports field, using sand for good drainage," Macy points out. "It's designed to take a lot of pedestrian traffic and a lot of use. We didn't want it to become soggy. "We designed the stonework to build on the characteristics of the estate and to complement the historic buildings," he says. "We picked Guinett Masonry, one of the best stone masons in the area, to build the stone walls." The historic Frank Manor House, Aubrey Watzek Library, Zehntbauer Swimming Pavilion and Pamplin Sports Center encircle the grassy mound. The design restored the forest west of the glade and called for traditional estate plantings on the glade's eastern edge. Macy describes landscape architecture as "the glue that ties all other campus projects together to give the campus a sense of unity." In 1993, he began working with Thomas Hacker and Associates Architects to develop the Alumni Circle, which mirrors the old cobblestone carriage circle and unites the formal gardens with Aubrey Watzek Library, the James F. Miller Center for the Humanities and the Fred W. Fields Center for the Visual Arts. At the same time, Macy started work on a network of pathways to connect the academic area of the campus with various isolated areas, which are now heavily used. "We are proud to be working at Lewis & Clark College," Macy says. "President Mooney's commitment to creating a quality campus is consistent with his commitment to quality education. That's what makes it wonderful to work in this environment." photo by Douglas Macy Hand-hewn stone walls and a green glade replace an asphalt parking lot. More: John Buck Sculptures Athletic Field

photo by Douglas Macy Design: Walker Macy Landscape Architects J. Douglas Macy, FALSA, principal in charge of design Wayne Stewart, P.E., project manager Eric Bode, project landscape architect Contractors: Cascadian Landscapers, general contractor Guinett Masonry   photo by Robert Reynolds  A bluestone terrace invites students to gather informally or to hold concerts. photo by Douglas Macy Historic cobblestones line sweeping curved paths that connect the campus.

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