Bridging the gap between theory and design: A proposal for regenerative campus development at the Swedish university of agricultural sciences
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education
ISSN: 1467-6370
Article publication date: 25 June 2019
Issue publication date: 10 July 2019
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe an exploratory research and design process that uses illustrative techniques to bridge the gap between theoretical principles of systems ecology, stakeholder input and a workable physical planning strategy for Ultuna Campus in Uppsala, Sweden.
Design/methodology/approach
Stakeholder interviews provide the empirical basis for this exploratory design process, in conjunction with landscape analysis, and review of previous proposals for campus development. Central principles of self-organizing systems are selected and concretized as visionary hypotheses in a physical context. Preliminary design concepts and plans illustrate sustainable systems while supporting new functional programmatic requirements: housing, industry-research collaboration, transportation and community-integrated landscapes.
Findings
The result is a proposal based on regenerative landscape design, envisioning campus Ultuna as a coherent whole.
Research limitations/implications
A large-scale modern building program is already underway at Ultuna, and rapid urbanization in the surrounding region coupled with projected growth on campus suggests future intensification of university lands. A master plan to be implemented until 2040 is now in the preliminary design phase. Ultuna is home to significant cultural and ecological landscapes, and a holistic approach is called for.
Practical implications
Illustrative techniques suggest ways to synthesize knowledge by creating future scenarios that are workable in practice.
Social implications
Global challenges call for designs that enhance environmental and human resources and their capacity to regenerate over time. Sustainability objectives are particularly crucial when envisioning university campuses; the environment serves as a laboratory for researchers, teachers, students and residents of the surrounding community.
Originality/value
This paper describes an innovative process for bridging ecological principles, stakeholder perspectives and practical design strategies for sustainable campuses.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This article was presented at the 2nd Symposium on Sustainability in University Campuses, 10th-12th December 2018 in Florence, Italy. The authors would like to express their gratitude to the organizers and the anonymous reviewers of the first draft manuscript submitted to this conference, where it was awarded a prize for best paper. The work was partly funded by a grant from the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Formas). Additional support was provided by the Department of Urban and Rural Development and the Division of Facility Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and Green Innovation Park Uppsala.
The authors would like to acknowledge the copyright holders and providers of material in Figure 1: Akademiska hus (I, K, L), Erik Giudice Architects (G), Swedish Heritage Board (E - data from FMIS/), Lantmäteriet (E - data from GSD-Tätortskartan), Mandaworks/Warm in the Winter (A, H), Uppsala kommun (D, F).
Citation
Bergquist, D., Hempel, C.A. and Lööf Green, J. (2019), "Bridging the gap between theory and design: A proposal for regenerative campus development at the Swedish university of agricultural sciences", International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 548-567. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-04-2019-0143
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited