UNMC Student Plaza to Embody Urban Design Philosophy
February 01, 2008
A generous expanse of green space. An outdoor gathering spot with architectural and artistic flair. An opportunity for people to connect, relax and reflect.
Thanks to the generosity of Ruth and Bill Scott, this trio of urban design principles will be showcased on the campus of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in the form of a new student plaza, an ice rink and an architectural/artistic feature.
The plaza will be constructed as part of a greenway on the east side of the Michael F. Sorrell Center for Health Science Education, located on the northeast corner of 42nd and Emile streets. It will serve as a central outdoor area for student and campus activities during the warmer months and will convert into a mechanically frozen ice rink during the winter months.
The plaza will help enhance campus life and develop a clear sense of academic place by creating a common space to be shared by the colleges of nursing, pharmacy, medicine and public health as well as the School of Allied Health Professions, said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D. The space also will link to the UNMC Student Life Center.
“For years I have envisioned having a plaza and skating rink where students and employees can enjoy our campus atmosphere,” Dr. Maurer said. “Thanks to Ruth and Bill Scott, it is going to become a reality. I think it will be one of the most exciting projects ever on the UNMC campus, as it will give us the green space and college campus ‘feel’ we have sorely needed.”
An architectural/artistic feature, similar in concept to the Henningson Memorial Campanile at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and other sculptural features at the university’s other campuses, will be located on the east end of the campus greenway. Preliminary plans call for the feature to have a health care theme.
This latest project marks the fifth major gift the Scotts have made to UNMC in the past five years. Bill Scott is a former vice president of Berkshire Hathaway. Ruth Scott is a bridge instructor and founder of the Omaha Bridge Studio.
The student plaza, ice rink and greenway extension will be designed by HDR Architecture, Inc., one of the architects for the Sorrell Center. A designer for the proposed campus identification monument will be chosen through a national competition.
Work on the student plaza and greenway is expected to get under way this spring. The project has a tentative completion date of November 2008. The timeline for completion of the campus identification monument is 2010.
For more information about UNMC, visit www.unmc.edu.