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Princeton Plans Major Campus Revamp

Princeton University is planning for more than two million square feet of construction by 2016.

Nicholas Tamarin -- Interior Design, 3/5/2008 12:00:00 AM

Seeking to strike a balance between centuries of storied tradition and plans for innovative new spaces spurred by explosive growth, Princeton University is set to begin a major overhaul of its historical Princeton, New Jersey campus. More than two million gross square feet of construction is expected to be underway by 2016.

"Princeton University’s campus is one of its most precious assets," says university president Shirley Tilgham. "This plan will revitalize the best-loved parts of the campus while improving and more fully integrating other areas, and it will allow us to create important new spaces while enhancing the beauty and sustainability of the campus environment."

The two-year process leading up to the revamp has been the most comprehensive of the six major planning initiatives in the Ivy League-university’s 262-year history. More than half of the 380-acre contiguous main campus will be directly affected by elements of the plan, and major firms such as Steven Holl Architects are onboard. Strategies have been established for every aspect of development: Infrastructure; construction; sustainability policies, including new measures for energy conservation and stormwater management; landscaping; wayfinding measures; and housing for faculty, staff, and students. The latter reflects the booming undergraduate population, expected to increase from 4,700 to 5,200 by 2012.

"This campus represents 250 years of the architecture of America," says university architect Jon Hlafter. "There are few if any places that have a more distinguished architectural record to maintain and expand upon. One measure of success would be the extent to which observers could appreciate the placement and design of innovative new buildings as a meaningful and logical extension of what has come before."

Above: An illustrative plan of Princeton University's campus in 2006. Below: A rendering of the campus in 2016, upon completion of the project.

Renderings courtesy of Princeton University