Concept Plan

Specifically, the Plan reflects a physical campus structure that is defined by the following:

• Three distinct and connected sectors, in the south, the east, and the west;
• Enhanced existing buildings;
• Compact structure to encourage walkability;
• A balance of built form and open spaces that create unique functioning places;
• New buildings for academic expansion, student housing, parking, services, amenities, and potential partnership initiatives;
• Enhanced existing and new open spaces that are beautiful, purposeful, flexible, diverse, and inspirational; and
• Pedestrian-oriented streets with multi-modal use, and pathways defined by street trees and landscaping that link the Campus internally, to the surrounding community, and beyond.

The Plan supports opportunities for quality architecture, placemaking, and sustainability that builds identity and defines BU as a unique, welcoming, and distinct place.

South Campus Sector

The South Campus Sector includes the area between Victoria Avenue and Louise Avenue, spanning the width of the campus from 18th Street to 20th Street. This encompasses the existing Healthy Living Centre as well as the Jeff Umphrey Centre and the athletic field.

Ⓐ New Campus Buildings:

• A continuous building frontage with a main address, entrances, and animated uses along Louise Avenue;
• A framing and enhancement of the south recreational eld and pedestrian linkages;
• Wayfinding gateways at the south east corner of the Campus and the entrance to Louise Avenue with opportunities for tall landmark buildings at the corners;
• A University building frontage with a main address, entrances, and animated uses along Victoria Avenue;
• At least two levels of below grade parking in all new buildings; and
• An opportunity to provide a mix of uses and mixed use buildings.
• An opportunity to locate a Visitor and Information Centre at the campus main gateway entrances.

Ⓑ Enhanced Recreational Field:

• An enhanced field designed to standard size for a diversity of varsity sports and recreational uses; and
• New street trees and pathways to frame the open space and provide accessibility all around.

Ⓒ Mixed Use Structured Parking Facility:

• Structured parking at the south west corner of the campus that is accessible to Victoria Avenue, fronted by commercial uses to define the street and animate the field open space.

Ⓓ New Pathways, Courtyards, and Plaza Spaces:

• A plaza open space defines the end of a continuous pedestrian spine that connects the campus north to south;
• Courtyard open spaces fronting the field and framed by new buildings; and
• East west and north south pedestrian pathways that connect the new spaces, buildings, streets and neighbourhoods.
• Landscape enhancements along Victoria Avenue to create a pedestrian friendly and attractive frontage.

Ⓔ A Pedestrian Oriented Street:

• An enhanced Louise Avenue with a continuous canopy of street trees, reduced travel lanes, on-street parking, seating, bike racks, and pedestrian crossing zones.

 

West Campus Sector

The West Campus Sector focuses on the area along 20th Street, from Princess Avenue to Louise Avenue. This includes current parking lots as well as the Queen Elizabeth II music building and the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium.

Ⓕ New Campus Buildings:

• A continuous building frontage with a main address, entrances, and animated uses along 20th Street;
• An improved adjacency and transition to the existing neighbourhood fabric;
• A framing and enhancement of existing and new open spaces, particularly the School of Music Outdoor Theatre Courtyard and new east- west plaza, providing new points of access.
• Gateway buildings that define the street corners, and are opportunities to locate tall landmark buildings for the purpose of wayfinding, terminating and defining views and view corridors, and identity building;
• Mixed residential buildings at the north end of 20th Street as a transitional use to the adjacent residences, and to provide housing diversity and amenities for the University and community;
• An opportunity for housing diversity sprinkled throughput the Campus, providing student housing; and for hotelling on campus for aboriginal, rural, or international families; and for sports teams during events, conferences; and
• At least two levels of below-grade parking in all new buildings.

Ⓖ A Pedestrian Oriented Street:

• A new street cross-section for 20th Street with a continuous canopy of street trees, reduced travel lanes, on-street parking, seating, bike racks, and pedestrian crossing zones; and
• A new road connection from Lorne Avenue to 20th street, increasing accessibility to the campus.

Ⓗ New Pathways, Courtyards, and Plaza Spaces:

• A string of four distinct enhanced and new courtyard spaces define the length of 20th Street;
• East-west pedestrian pathways connect the open spaces to buildings, streets, the internal campus, and the neighbourhoods.

Ⓘ Mixed-Use Structured Parking Facility:

• Structured parking located centrally along 20th Street, at the new Lorne Avenue entrance, fronted by uses to de ne and animate the street.

Ⓙ Enhanced North South Pedestrian route:

• An enhanced laneway at the edge of the west campus quadrant with enhanced paving and landscaping as an improved edge to the neighbourhood and a north south pedestrian route into the Campus.

 

East Campus Sector

The East Campus Sector includes most of the existing main buildings on campus, encompassing both the 18th Street frontage and the central courtyard and access areas between Princess Avenue and Louise Avenue.

Ⓚ Retrofitting Existing Buildings:

• New welcoming building frontages with a high degree of transparency to increase visibility into and out of the buildings, and improved pedestrian connections to existing and new adjacent open spaces.

Ⓛ The North South Pedestrian Spine:

• Enhanced existing and new open spaces of quads, plazas, forested landscapes, and green connections define the central north south pedestrian route through the centre of the Campus, and linked to all east west pathways and major open spaces.

Ⓜ︎ A Welcoming, Accessible, and Attractive Frontage Along 18th Street:

• A string of four distinct enhanced and new courtyard spaces define the historic face of the Campus, including a northern forested landscape, a formal plaza gateway at Lorne Avenue, a quad open space, and a terraced courtyard.

Ⓝ A Pedestrian Friendly 18th Street

• An opportunity to define a new road cross- section for 18th Street as a recommendation to the City of Brandon, in order to create a safe pedestrian campus interface and movement corridor.
• Clear wayfinding signage to Brandon’s Downtown campus at the Princess and/or Lorne Avenue gateways.

 

Details of the Concept Plan

The Concept Plan provides a comprehensive overview of the Campus Master Plan to guide future campus development. More details are set out in in the Plan Frameworks with timelines proposed in the Implementation section.