Throughout the planning process, ideas were generated and refined with the help of the Campus Planning Committee of Case’s Board of Trustees along with many groups representing
the diverse internal and external constituencies of the University community. Thematic groups convened to discuss issues such as residence life, dining, recreation and
security, while special vision-focused sessions were conducted on the undergraduate experience, the graduate, professional, and research experience, and the academic medical
center. The input of these groups and other individuals in the Campus Planning and Operations Department were invaluable to the development of the Plan. Together, these groups
translated the University’s Vision Plan, as seen on the previous page, into the physical manifestation of the Campus Master Plan.
A Vision for the Campus
Paul Klee’s Coming to Bloom, to the right, is a metaphor for the central idea of Case’s Master Plan. The painting, like
the network of campus spaces proposed by this plan, has
an overall cohesiveness, yet it includes areas that are markedly
different. The structure of the painting is analogous to
the structuring elements of the campus, such as sightlines,
ease of connection, and human comfort. In the painting, the
contrasting areas work with one another within this overall
structure. Likewise, the differences among the eclectic
set of buildings and spaces at Case, which are the physical
representation of our history as an institution and as a community,
modulate the feeling of the campus and add richness
to its composition. Far from detracting from the overall
structure, these elements can be made indispensable by the
joyful contrast they provide.
The Master Plan advocates developing a vocabulary of architectural
and spatial typologies as building blocks in the new,
improved campus composition. Many types of landscapes,
spaces and buildings exist on the campus already, though primarily
in nascent form. The overall composition lacks clarity
and order. This Master Plan outlines a vision for revitalizing
existing elements of the Case campus; adding new parts to
the overall mix; and, most importantly, unifying the campus
into a composed, more vibrant, continuous whole.
Purpose
 The 2005 Master Plan was developed to establish a framework
for both improvements and growth. The plan makes
recommendations for future improvements and expansion of
some programs and services, development of new facilities
to better support evolving academic and research programs,
improving the living experience for the Case community, and
supporting the growing number of partnerships and collaborations
with surrounding institutions. In addition, strategic
expansion and renovation to improve the quality of existing
space is a focus of proposed changes.
This plan represents a collaborative effort between several
firms and disciplines and incorporates the input of many
groups within Case and the larger University Circle and
Greater Cleveland communities. The plan summarizes a
unique moment in Case’s history, when the University chose
to study four different aspects of master planning simultaneously.
Over a four-year period, Case commissioned an Architectural
Master Plan by Ayers/Saint/Gross, a Site and Landscape
Master Plan by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, a
Utilities and Infrastructure Master Plan by Burt Hill Kosar
Rittelmann, and a Space Utilization Master Plan by Paulien
and Associates. This document distills and integrates these
more detailed plans and shows options for how the projects
recommended by each might be coordinated and phased.
Each of the four topical master plans also exists as a standalone
document to be consulted for in-depth information on
planning decisions specifically related to architecture, landscape,
infrastructure, and/or space utilization. This plan will
be complemented by a University Circle-wide parking and
traffic study that is currently underway, as well as the Euclid
Avenue Corridor project that will be completed by 2010.
The goal of this Master Plan is to generate a vision
for Case as a unified, connected campus with a clear
identity and an outward focus. The Master Plan
embraces the varied nature of the Case campus as
a mixture of historical and contemporary buildings
and spaces. The plan seeks not to resolve these complexities
and contradictions with a wash of sameness,
but rather embraces the opposite approach. It takes
as a given the form of the campus today, and instead
of relying on an unrealistic strategy of removing all
contrasting pieces, it draws disparate parts into a
rich and unique composition that unifies and spatially
interconnects the elements as a dynamic mosaic,
representative of the Case Community.
Process
 Each of the four topical Master Plans began as a series of
site investigations analyzing the existing conditions of the
campus. This document draws together the findings of each
plan, with a focus on the physical fabric of circulation, open
space, and materials. The master planning teams also learned
about the life and character of the campus through meetings
with Case staff, students, faculty, and administrators. These
site visits, analysis exercises, and conversations informed the
development of a set of four principles to guide all further
planning decisions about the campus. The evolving future of
Case is laid out herein as a series of planning projects that
will begin to shape the physical campus; the realization of
these projects over time will ultimately help us achieve our
goals. Small-scale, incremental design decisions can, over
time, have as much of an impact on the physical campus as
large-scale, deliberate planning projects. As such, it is important
to understand that this document is an overview of
four much more richly detailed plans, which are intended to
guide the design and implementation of projects as well as
the day-to-day maintenance work of the facilities staff.
Overview
The format of this book closely follows the process by which
the Master Plan developed, beginning with the Analysis of
Existing Conditions that leads to the development of planning
principles. The Master Plan Projects section provides an
overview of how the Master Plan can be carried out through
a prioritized sequence of campus-wide and site-specific projects,
organized by precinct. The status of each project is identified
on a diagrammatic timeline for each precinct to differentiate
long-term visionary projects from near-term projects,
some of which are currently in planning or under construction.
The planning and implementation process is summarized
graphically in Planning and Implementation Overview.
The findings of the Architectural Master Plan and the Site
and Landscape Master Plan are well-suited to graphic representation
and appear in the Master Plan Projects section.
The findings of the Space Master Plan are inherent in the
logic that guided all other planning decisions. Similarly, the
Utilities Master Plan recommends projects that are integral
to all other projects in the Master Plan. The concepts and
projects identified in the following pages have evolved as a
result of collaboration among many individuals and disciplines
to establish this long-range vision and action plan for
the Case campus community.
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