Tarrant County College | Northeast Campus | Central Plaza
How do we create a student centered public space?
What makes a good space? When we recap the trips we have taken and the unique spaces that we have inhabited what comes to mind? Is it the cathedrals of the Gothic era or the relics of the ancients? Or is it a large space, surrounded by a few buildings, inhabited by people, with a variety of events. Food trucks, art shows, and farmers markets are just some of the memories we fall back on. So what makes these spaces special? Their simplicity, their flexibility, and their openness to people and the means they choose to get there.
When asked to devise a solution for a Tarrant County College, we looked at how a simple shared space could be designed to not just modernize the front entry of the campus, but how through its simplicity we could allow students to reprogram the space to accommodate events and art. The space is void of intricate patterns or materials, minimizing the cost of maintaining and repairing the paving over time. Even in the event of future infrastructure projects the paving is designed to be removed in sections so repairs can be made easily without leaving a patchwork look, which is common with concrete repairs. As technology becomes a key piece of scheduling spaces at the college, the plaza will be ready to accommodate these innovations, allowing it to keep it relevancy as the campus evolves.