Hollins University

Hollins University, Roanoke, Virginia

Hollins University Master Plan (PDF) 7.3MB

Founded in 1842 as the first chartered women's college in Virginia, Hollins is a small private liberal arts university with an enrollment of about 800 students. The campus's historic Front Quadrangle, whose first building dates to 1856, traces the evolution of American collegiate architecture and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Planning funds will help to create standards and treatment guidelines, expand nomination listings for the National Register, and develop case studies for the sympathetic upgrading of six historic structures.

Hollins University received a Getty grant in 2004 for $130,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Report Summary

Purpose: Founded in 1842 as the first chartered women’s college in Virginia, Hollins University is a small private liberal arts university with an enrollment of approximately 800 students. The campus’s historic Front Quadrangle, whose first building dates to 1856, traces the evolution of American collegiate architecture. The institution proposed to help create standards and treatment guidelines, expand nomination listings for the National Register, and develop case studies for historically-appropriate upgrades of six significant structures.

Historic Designation(s): Hollins College Quadrangle (including six contributing buildings, National Register of Historic Places).

Planning Process: The comprehensive master plan the university developed had three phases. The first phase analyzed and investigated existing conditions of the campus. The second considered concept alternatives for short- and long-term campus development to make the most efficient use of existing building and land resources. The third phase documented a master plan for a 10-year time period.

The university established a dialog between architecture and design professionals with the university community in its many facets, including facilities management staff and the board of trustees. This master plan committee, working with other stakeholders, engaged in on-campus work sessions and meetings.

Outcomes—Products: “Hollins University Master Plan” was the result, which offers a preservation and management strategy for the university’s entire 475-acre campus. This report focuses on land management, campus structure and organization, building use, phasing in new projects, stormwater management, signage and other aspects of campus circulation and use.

Outcomes—Strategies and Goals for the Future: The comprehensive master plan established a structure for investment in campus land and facilities that reflects the mission, history and traditions of Hollins University. It prioritizes immediate and long-term needs, identifies target projects for implementation, and outlines conceptual costs of capital projects. It also offers historic preservation recommendations and information about historic tax credits.