Texas State University - San Marcos
San Marcos, Texas

Completion: 2005
Size: 445 Acres
Cost: N/A

"In all my years in higher education, I don't know if I have ever been involved in such a collaborative process as this." - President Denise M. Trauth "Congratulations on a job well done. In May, the Board of Regents approved the Campus Master Plan unanimously with no questions. In fact, there has never been a time in the history of Regents' meetings when a Board has applauded after being briefed on a master plan." - Nancy K. Nusbaum, Project Leader

Texas State University and the city of San Marcos have enjoyed a complementary relationship since the institution opened in 1899. Today, the Austin-San Marcos corridor is burgeoning, and the University has expanded its original 39,880 gsf campus to accommodate 27,000 students and more than 2,300 full-time staff and faculty members. But the campus is landlocked, and ASG was contracted to develop a master plan to guide growth through the year 2015 and beyond.

The planning process was a participatory and collegial public enterprise in line with the institution's mission and strategic plan. Information came from web-based surveys of the faculty, students and staff, open forums, and presentations to the University and community. Early on, planning assumptions and guiding principles were adopted in order to focus on the best qualities of the campus including its student-centered character and heritage.

The master plan prescribes visual clues to mark the campus boundaries without restricting physical access. A formal green space, a new Fine Arts and Communications Center and a new Undergraduate Academic Center will define the face of the University. Meanwhile, Old Main will remain its most important symbol. Key points in the plan are: . Community - The historic practice of juxtaposing academic, residential and cultural facilities will remain a unique feature of Texas State. As formal education spills from classrooms, students and faculty members will enter outdoor rooms to continue their intellectual exchanges. The computer lab will be relocated for easier student access, and the new green space will welcome the broader community.

. Natural Environment - A series of pedestrian paths will extend the intimate character of the quad, and the systematic removal of surface parking and superfluous impervious cover will create a network of green open spaces and building footprints. . Architecture - Design guidelines were developed to respect the historical building precedents while accommodating technology advances. . Mobility - The new transportation strategy reallocates core surface parking to convenient garages to make room for open spaces and buildings while encouraging walking and biking on campus. ASG partnered with Broaddus & Associates, Inc. in Austin, Texas.