Northwestern visitor center appeal

1. NORTHWESTERN
UNIVERSITY VISITOR
CENTER
Application for Appeal of Evanston
Preservation Commission Decision
Denying Certificate of Appropriateness
Northwestern University
October 22, 2012

2. SOUTHEAST CAMPUS
Visitor Center
Sailing Center
Music Building &
Arts Green

3. VISITOR CENTER
VIEW LOOKING NORTHEAST

4. VISITOR CENTER
VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST

5. ZONING:
• “By right” development; meets all zoning
requirements including height and setbacks
• Zoning review and approval by City of Evanston
SITE DEVELOPMENT
• No filling of any floodplain or water areas
• IDNR approval received
• IHPA approval received
• Evanston SPAARC approval received
• IEPA review of construction activity to be
completed
BUILDING DESIGN ELEMENTS
• Bird-friendly glass and landscape
• Lights, other than emergency egress lighting, will
be on occupancy sensors
VISITOR
CENTER FACTS

7. VISITOR CENTER
SITE PLAN

8. • Visitor Center was required to be reviewed by the
Preservation Commission pursuant to the City of
Evanston Code, Chapter 8:
– Section 2-8-2 - a Landmark is “[a] . .
.property, structure, site or object
designated as a ‘landmark’ by the Council
that has a high degree of historic, cultural,
architectural or archaeological significance
to the City of Evanston. For purposes of this
Chapter and unless otherwise expressly
provided by Council in the ordinance for
designation, all designations shall
presumptively include the lot(s) of record
associated with the structure or object
designated as a landmark. ”
PRESERVATION
ORDINANCE
APPLICABILITY

9. • The new Visitor Center straddles 2 lots
of record. The lot of record to the east
(84 acres created by land fill in the
1960s) does not contain any landmarks.
However, the lot of record to the west
(158 acres) is a lot of record containing
12 Evanston landmark buildings.
• The lot of record under the west
portion of the Visitor Center includes 58
buildings, including both the oldest
(University Hall, 1869) and newest
(Silverman Hall, 2009).
VISITOR CENTER
LOT OF RECORD

10. VISITOR CENTER LOCATION
STRADDLES 2 LOTS OF RECORD

11. • We requested the Commission evaluate
the project’s Lots of Record as context
for Certificate of Appropriateness. The
Ordinance clearly identifies the lot(s) of
record associated with the structure or
object designated as a landmark.
• The commission chose to only evaluate
the Visitor Center in context to one
building, vs. the other 11 landmark
structures and 58 buildings that serve as
context for the Visitor Center.
ORDINANCE
INTERPRETATION

12. • The campus architecture from the
earliest foundation of the University has
reflected an organic growth. The early
buildings were of no consistent style
and reflected the architectural trends of
the time in which they were built. No
one architectural style dominated the
early
• The campus is a dynamic, evolving
institution of higher education and the
building design reflects that evolving
growth and search for excellence.
CAMPUS
ARCHITECTURE
AS CONTEXT

14. • The Northwestern University campus is
an ensemble of buildings created
throughout the 160 year history to
reflect the age in which they were
created. As a major research institution
of higher education, it is the essential
character of the university to look
forward in the design of new buildings,
incorporating the latest technological
advances and architectural design and
to not serve simply as a mirror to the
past. We also have an obligation to
acknowledge and respect the past
through our continued preservation of
our landmark buildings and through the
use of materials and scale on which the
campus has been built
CAMPUS
ARCHITECTURE
AS CONTEXT

15. • Height. “Height shall be visually
compatible with properties, structures,
sites, public ways, objects and places to
which it is visibly related.”
• Response:
• The height of the new Visitor Center is
compatible with the height of the
campus buildings to which it is visibly
related. The surrounding campus has
buildings of various heights, however,
the predominate heights are within the
65-85 ft range.
RESPONSE TO
COMMISSION
COMMENTS –
HEIGHT

18. VISITOR
CENTER
HEIGHT

19. • Scale of a structure. “The size and mass
of structures in relation to open spaces,
windows, door openings, porches and
balconies shall be visually compatible
with the properties, structures, sites,
public ways, objects and places to which
they are visually related.”
• Response:
• The size and mass of the Visitor’s
Center is similar to other buildings on
campus and the relationship to open
space between buildings is similar to
other buildings on campus.
RESPONSE TO
COMMISSION
COMMENTS –
SCALE

20. Sheridan Rd. Lot of Record Looking North
Sheridan Rd. Lot of Record Looking East
LANDMARK LOT OF RECORD
CONTEXT BUILDING SCALE

21. CLOSING • IN CLOSING, We firmly believe that the
Visitor’s Center project as proposed to
the Preservation Commission satisfies
all of the standards for a Certificate of
Appropriateness, and is consistent with
the fabric of the campus, and existing
relationships between landmarked
buildings and other buildings.

22. QUESTIONS