A Comparison Between a Spatially Ideal Campus and the University of Saskatchewan

Abstract

A visitor's first impression of a university is often dominated by the size and scale of the buildings. If the campus has been developed aesthetically the visitor's eye is immediately drawn to the landscaping and the architectural beauty of the buildings. What the casual observer frequently fails to appreciate are the spatial relationships between the facilities. The relationships between the various buildings and the logic and planning that has gone into their siting is often overlooked or unrecognized. Only when one uses the institution, either as a student, teacher or administrator, does one become aware of the associations between buildings. This awareness leads to an appreciation of the necessity to understand and oo-ordinate relationships between academic programs and university and student services. This thesis will develop the author's concept of an ideal campus and, in turn, will compare the ideal model with the University of Saskatchewan. The ideal campus is based on the concept of ideal facility location. The ideal is a 'dream' university that is created without physical or monetary constraints. The prime emphasis in the development of an ideal campus will be facility location based on the inter-relationships between academic programs and university facilities. The model will be used as a vehicle for campus planning in general and for identifying problems on an existing campus, the University of Saskatchewan. The current University of Saskatchewan campus will be analyzed with reference to the campus node), and it is hoped the results will help university personnel to assess and rectify campus spatial problems.