Canterbury campus concept master plan 2016

2. THE PARKLANDS The Parklands - the green open space that surrounds the existing heart of the University - are a great asset in providing a green setting to the University and as a landscape demarcation from the City.

This green setting is also a major part of the University’s attractiveness to both students and academic staff. Unfortunately, use of the green landscape is at present limited to the open area to the south of the University library, the connecting footpaths and the sports pitches; external spaces could be a much greater asset to the University if they provided variety in appearance, visual amenity as well as year-round spaces for gathering and social interaction.

The Parklands are by no means devoid of buildings at present, and indeed many of these buildings add to the character of the Parklands. They are more dispersed within the campus and stand as satellites or pavilions within the open landscape. Most often, they contain uses which are not core to the University but which contain complementary uses such as the Innovation Centre, Chaucer College, maintenance facilities and sports pavilions. Very often the existing Parklands buildings are some of the most historic of all the campus buildings, such as Beverley Farmhouse, Hothe Court Farmhouse and Farmyard to the north of Parkwood, and the West and East Oast Houses nearby.

The master plan concept therefore proposes that the Parklands and the historic buildings within the University campus are preserved and enhanced as a complementary landscape asset around a more coherent and intensified campus core. However, the Parklands will also provide a location for the continued development of new buildings and other facilities as and when appropriate. Such buildings will be designed as ‘landscape buildings’ or ‘pavilions in the landscape’ which could include appropriately-designed functional commercial or academic buildings, as well as landscape components such as gazebos, mazes, observatories, open-air theatres and so on.

94 November 2015 I Farrells I Stage 1, 2 and 3 Report I University of Kent Master-