Westtown School required a master plan to establish a campus-wide approach for improvements and growth on its 600 acres of fields and rolling hills in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Individual academic and athletic programs at the school completed self-study reports with specific recommendations for their future, which were evaluated and incorporated into the plan.
The core area of the 600-acre school contained academic buildings, dormitories, and faculty housing concentrated at the high point of the site, with long views over the surrounding natural areas, lakes, agricultural fields, and playing fields. The center of campus included maintenance buildings, vehicular circulation, and parking that created conflicts between students/faculty and the buildings.
The Campus Master Plan established a framework to accommodate pedestrian circulation, playing fields, and new and expanded buildings without compromising views over the surrounding landscape. An ‘auto-free center’ was developed by eliminating several existing roads and limiting through-traffic on others; parking was increased by locating small lots at the site’s perimeter, activating a new open space at the center of campus.
