Project Name: Northeastern State University (NSU) Centennial

Project Name: Northeastern State University (NSU) Centennial Plaza Concept
Project Location: Tahlequah, Oklahoma
Landscape Architecture Firm Role: Landscape Architect
Unbuilt/ Concept Plans Completed: 2009
Northeastern State University (NSU) approached the landscape architecture firm to provide a
conceptual design and cost estimate for their main campus located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
The client’s vision was to provide a centrally located multi-use shared space where their
students, faculty and visitors could come together to socialize, relax, and to commemorate the
campus’s one hundred plus years of education.
The proposed centennial plaza space is to be located between the Business and Technology
building (north) and the Student Union building (south). Campus apartments are housed
directly east across the street creating a necessity for the desired plaza space to accommodate
for large masses of pedestrian traffic throughout the day. The existing plaza space consists of
an open lawn, fountain, and multiple elevated planting beds and trees with many areas
harboring drainage problems and standing water. New renovation plans of both north and south
buildings were currently in effect and the Student Union building had plans of creating an
outdoor café area where students could come to a window and order food to be enjoyed
outside.
The client’s requirements for the space were as follows:
1. Include the existing fountain in the design.
2. Provide a stage where performances or speeches could be conducted.
3. Create an aesthetically pleasing usable space with multiple outdoor rooms and seating.
4. Provide ADA access to the outdoor café with seating areas.
5. Design for a main clock tower to be visible from multiple directions.
The design team used a mixture of geometric shapes to successfully create a marriage between
the proposed landscape and existing elements. One of the largest challenges the design team
had to overcome with this design was to provide a pragmatic design solution to compensate for
the significant elevation change between the north and south building’s finished floor elevations.
This was achieved by designing a plaza that provided positive drainage flow out to necessary
inlet locations. The design team believed in incorporating and saving the existing trees that did
not receive severe past ice damage or ones going to be affected by the proposed new grading
and drainage within the plaza area.
The resulting concept design provided visual and physical access within the plaza and to
surrounding buildings while cohesively encompassing the existing water fountain. The
strategically designed stage and stepped open lawn area became a centerpiece for the plaza.
Due to the elevation change between the two buildings, ADA accessibility throughout the plaza
especially the stage as well as viewing the stage was pertinent. Because of the location of this
particular plaza, it allowed the design team ability to create great opportunities for NSU’s
student, faculty and visitors to gather together and engage in multiple social encounters such as
holding outdoor classrooms, studying, eating and interacting with natural elements.
The impact of this particular concept design provides a cohesive efficient use of the entire
landscaped plaza and allows for numerous events to successfully occur at one time creating a
positive experience for the Northeastern State University students, faculty and visitors while on
campus and for years to come.
Northeastern State University Centennial Plaza Concept Site Plan
2011 OK ASLA Awards Entry Design (Unbuilt)
Project Name: Northeastern State University Centennial Plaza Concept
OK ASLA 2011 AWARDS ENTRY FORM
Aerial view encompassing multiple outdoor rooms. 2011 OK ASLA Awards Entry Design (Unbuilt)
Project Name: Northeastern State University Centennial Plaza Concept
OK ASLA 2011 AWARDS ENTRY FORM
View from clock tower looking west towards plaza’s stage.
2011 OK ASLA Awards Entry Design (Unbuilt)
Project Name: Northeastern State University Centennial Plaza Concept
OK ASLA 2011 AWARDS ENTRY FORM
View of courtyard outside the Business and Technology building.
2011 OK ASLA Awards Entry Design (Unbuilt)
Project Name: Northeastern State University Centennial Plaza Concept
OK ASLA 2011 AWARDS ENTRY FORM
View of the existing fountain looking northeast from the street.
2011 OK ASLA Awards Entry Design (Unbuilt)
Project Name: Northeastern State University Centennial Plaza Concept
OK ASLA 2011 AWARDS ENTRY FORM
Aerial view capturing all major design elements of the Northeastern State University Centennial Plaza. 2011 OK ASLA Awards Entry Design (Unbuilt)
Project Name: Northeastern State University Centennial Plaza Concept