Babson College
PAE-3: Physical Campus Plan

Plan highlights include:
- Respect the Mature Suburban Campus Environment - "Babson must be judicious in siting future facilities, to respect natural topography and preserve the landscape."

- Sustainable Design: “Planning and design of facilities and campus improvements must respect environmental consciousness and “green design” principles, including conscientious use of natural and utility resources, reduction of landfill material created by construction projects, and building design to meet good sustainable design practices as represented in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards of the U.S. Green Building Council.”

- New Buildings on Already Developed Sites: “A lack of easily developed sites and desire to mitigate further loss of woods and open space constrain the location of new buildings. Future facility needs can be accommodated, while reducing any decrease in green space and increase in hard-surface area and drainage impacts, by siting new construction on already developed property.”

- Maintain Wooded Landscape and Green Buffers: “Wooded environment is integral to the quality and character of the Babson campus. Green buffers separating campus precincts should be preserved. They help to define separate areas and reinforce transitions between functional zones. Similarly, the network of diverse green open spaces in the campus core and low-density treatments at the campus perimeter should be maintained and enhanced. Within this wooded environment, controlling the undergrowth is important to provide visibility at pedestrian level.”

- Enhanced Walking Campus: “The Walking Campus concept embodied in the 1986, 1996 and 2000 Facility Master Plans has been implemented gradually over the past twenty years. This should be reinforced in future campus site development. The concept emphasizes pedestrian oriented environment with well-organized landscaped paths connecting important destinations, meaningful spaces at key intersections, and effective lighting, site furnishings and signage.”

- Sustainable Plant Materials: “Babson has developed a list of appropriate plant materials for campus landscape areas to apply sustainable design principles, utilizing indigenous and easily maintained species. This list will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis.”

- Preserve and Extend Open Spaces and Retain Undeveloped Buffer Areas

Babson has a new Facilities Master Plan in development which is expected to be adopted in 2012 which includes LEED Master Site certification.

A new master planning process is beginning this semester (Spring 2011) and will focus on opportunities to increase efficient use of space and reduce square footage over time as part of our Carbon Action Plan.