University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Historic Landscape Master Plan (Website)

The University was founded in 1793 at the site of a large poplar tree, The Davie Poplar, which remains a cherished symbol of the university and one of the few individual trees listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This early awareness of the significance of the natural landscape remained a distinguishing aspect of UNC's campus development, and influenced the construction of a series of gardens and landscapes dating from different periods in the university's history. The recent rapid expansion of the campus, however, has threatened some of these designed landscapes and signature trees, prompting the need for a historic landscape preservation master plan. Getty funds are supporting a thorough survey of historic landscape resources on campus, as well as the creation of guidelines for landscape architecture in the context of new construction.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received a Getty grant in 2007 for $100,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Report Summary

Public university, multi-school system

Historic Landscape Framework Plan

Purpose: Five guiding principles applied to 5 sites located in historic core for site documentation and site analysis.

Framework Plan integrates cultural, natural and scenic attributes into a single document.

Guiding principles:

• New foundations
• Quest for dignity
• Recognition for uniqueness
• Integration of Civic Intent
• Respect and Honor the Legacy

Proposed design interventions to each of the five sites:

McCorkle Place:

• Develop strategy to maintain & enhance vegetative character
• Revitalize & enhance foundation and screening planting design.
• Redesign Old Well Plaza
• Locate & select essential site furnishings & materials

Polk Place:

• Develop strategy to maintain & enhance vegetative character
• Revitalize & enhance foundation and screening planting design.
• Redesign Secondary Quads
• Locate & select essential site furnishings & materials

Bell tower and garden:

• Improve visibility, address grade and access

Keenan Woods:

• Reforestation strategy

Forest Theater:

• Improve infrastructure
• Strategy vegetative character
• Increase access

Next steps: Goal: knit together cultural landscape in common language.

Lessons learned: Guiding principles provide foundation for decision-making. First step toward goal of understanding significance of historic landscapes. Importance of views and vistas, accessibility.

Appendices: Matrix Recommended Plantings and Trees

Plan published and available online.