Students discuss the future, landscape of Centennial Campus

Several students had the chance to express their opinions Wednesday night about a possible alternative to the current University Master Plan for Centennial Campus.

Stanford Barnes, a masters student in landscape architecture, is working on his version of what the 1,200-acre landscape could look like 10 years from now for his design project. Wednesdays meeting served as his first public forum to gauge the reaction of current students.

I want to create something important and special for Centennial Campus, Barnes said. We are here to talk about legacy and talk about what you [students] would like to see for both us and for future generations.

Much of Barnes plan involves changes to the Wolf Ridge apartment complex and future Town Center, a mixed-use facility that will eventually be constructed near Lake Raleigh. It also addresses the lack of parking and housing, especially for graduate students.

N.C. State is not going to stop growing, and as more people head here to grad school, accommodations will have to increase, Barnes said. Id love to see Ph.D. students living here with their families, and right now we dont have many locations to accommodate that.

Additionally, Barnes said he envisions a Scholars Walk series of winding trails that connects the Centennial community, starting at the Oval and ending at the Alumni Center. These trails will be lined with items that boast N.C. State history, including paintings created by College of Design students.

Everyone takes a different pathway through education, which is why there are so many winding pathways in my plan, Barnes said.

After explaining his plan, Barnes shifted the discussion to student input. Audience members consistently highlighted the convenience of living on Centennial Campus and the beautiful landscape as positive elements of the plan.

One of the greatest features about Centennial Campus is the natural environment, Barnes said. I mean, we have a lake.

Many students said their ideal living location was similar to Raleigh -- not too urban and not too rural. Many students said while they appreciated the wide open spaces on Centennial, they wanted to see nook-and-cranny spaces installed as well, similar to the space behind the Burlington Labs on Main Campus. These would help give Centennial a homier feel, students said.

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Students discuss the future, landscape of Centennial Campus