Attachment #5 PRINCETON UNIVERSITY Request for Proposals to Provide Campus Planning Services Proposals Due: April 15, 2005 March 15, 2005
Campus Overview: Chartered in 1746, Princeton University is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. From its original campus, comprised of Nassau Hall and the President s house, Princeton has grown into a relatively low-density 400-acre campus with over 160 buildings. The main campus of Princeton is generally that area in the borough and township of Princeton that is north of Lake Carnegie and south of Nassau Street. This area includes the historic campus, best characterized by its neo-gothic architecture and intimate courtyards, and the more recently constructed northeast, west, southeast and south campus neighborhoods. Princeton has established distinct architectural and academic-use zones and has confined most of its contemporary buildings to the south and southeast campus neighborhoods. In addition to its main campus, Princeton s land holdings extend to the West Windsor Township, south of Lake Carnegie and north of Route 1, where the University owns an additional 400 acres. One of the smallest of the nation s leading research universities, Princeton provides both undergraduate and graduate instruction in the liberal arts, sciences and engineering. There are approximately 4,700 undergraduate and 2,000 graduate students enrolled at the university. Virtually all undergraduates and about two-thirds of the graduate students live on campus. Princeton employs approximately 5,500 faculty and staff. Planning Principles: Over the period 1996 to 2006, 1.6 million square feet of new facilities have been or will be added to Princeton s campus, yielding a total physical plant of more than 9.5 million square feet. It is anticipated that Princeton will require an additional million square feet over the ten years spanning 2007 2017. Where will these new facilities go and how will the qualities that make Princeton s campus unique be preserved and enhanced? Under the leadership of President Shirley Tilghman, these questions were engaged in an intensive series of internal discussions over the past two years, involving senior administrators, faculty, architects who have been involved in previous and ongoing University building projects, and other key stakeholders. A surprising conclusion emerged from these discussions. Whereas traditionally the University had assumed that future growth would be accommodated in a second, mirror-image campus located across Lake Carnegie in the West Windsor area, it was decided that the bulk of these lands should be preserved as open space. The decision to promote appropriate density on Princeton s core campus in lieu of continued diffusion heightens the urgency of identifying the unique qualities of the main campus, and of developing a strategy to preserve and enhance them. The following guiding principles took shape from these discussions: Maintain a pedestrian-oriented campus from the undergraduate heart of the campus, the Frist Campus Center, nearly all areas of the core campus can be reached within a tenminute walk, and many important academic facilities and student amenities are located within a five-minute walk. Preserve the park-like character of the campus Princeton s unparalleled array of open spaces, gardens, and intimate courtyards create the revelation of the unexpected, in the words of the University s master architect of the 19 th century, Ralph Adams Cram. To not only preserve this openness but find ways to accentuate pre-existing, shifting vistas as pedestrians traverse the campus is a core principle in planning for additional density at Princeton. RFP, Campus Planning March 2005 2
Maintain campus neighborhoods while promoting a sense of community Future growth should build upon Princeton s existing academic, residential, and administrative program clusters and architectural zones, providing each with a distinct identity while forging connections with the University community as a whole. Develop in an environmentally responsible manner Building upon Princeton s solid track record in environmental sustainability, new development should be sensitive both to geography and to energy and resource consumption. Sustain strong community relations Key areas of town gown concern include developing responsible parking policies for the campus, continuing to build housing for students, faculty, and staff, and working with the community on traffic and public transportation options. Other factors that should inform the work of the campus planning team include the growth of the undergraduate population by 500 students in the academic year beginning in 2007, made possible by a sixth residential college now under construction; the growth of graduate school enrollment, faculty, and staff by approximately 1% annually; and the decision that the development of campus lands outside the core campus will largely occur on the periphery, including Alexander Street, Western Way, the Armory area, and off-campus housing sites. In addition, Princeton has established a landscape master plan for its historic campus, developed a design approach to street furniture and the treatment of campus roads and paths, and has made other investments that it wishes the campus planning team to build upon. Planned Development Projects and Development Zones: In connection with articulating the planning principles discussed above, Princeton has begun to develop plans for new facilities that will address specific needs for growth and enhance the development of targeted campus neighborhoods or zones. The University will retain architectural firms to design each facilities project and to consider the character of the surrounding area. The work of the campus planning team will, in some cases, proceed in tandem with the design of these projects and will be extremely important to the University in making decisions about parking, transportation, pedestrian access and circulation, infrastructure support, signage, landscaping, and other issues that affect the campus as a whole. Five main projects have been identified: Alexander Street/University Place: Princeton intends to redevelop the area centered upon the McCarter Theater and the area located adjacent to the New Jersey Transit dinky station on Alexander Street. This may include exploring options for developing academic space focused on the arts, residential, office and retail facilities on land the University owns adjacent to the rail station. Infrastructure will be needed to support this zone without burdening the existing traffic and circulation patterns. The campus planner will support this effort by evaluating the properties Princeton owns along Alexander Street for potential demolition or reuse, analyzing the potential density that could be supported, and identifying how parking will be accommodated in this new district. Chemistry/Physics Science Area: A new chemistry building will be constructed on the current site of the Armory, with possible future capacity for related academic departments. RFP, Campus Planning March 2005 3
In addition, the current chemistry building, Frick Laboratory, will be renovated for use by adjacent academic activities. A pedestrian bridge across Washington Road is being designed to support this project, and will provide important new links between the two natural science zones on both sides of Washington Road as well as improved connections for student athletes between Caldwell Field House and the Class of 1952 Stadium. Princeton is currently interviewing design architects for the new chemistry building. The campus planner s role will be to develop parking solutions for users of the expanded chemistry facilities and new locations for the parking that will be displaced by construction of these facilities. The campus planner will also evaluate improvements for pedestrian and vehicular movement as well as wayfinding in the surrounding area. E-3 Zone: The E-3 Zone, which refers to a zoning district within the borough of Princeton, is in the northeastern corner of the main campus and comprises almost all of the University s facilities for the applied sciences, a large portion for the social sciences, and some for natural science. Princeton is examining the option of constructing new engineering facilities in this zone, totaling approximately 130-140,000 gross square feet. While Princeton has already launched a campus design and zoning study of the E-3 zone, the campus planner s role will be to confirm the viability of possible site locations for new facilities and determine a rational parking plan for users of all facilities in this zone. Ivy Lane/Western Way: This area forms the potential interface between the main campus s natural sciences and applied sciences zones and lies just to the north of Princeton Stadium and the ballfields. The University has long-term plans for the expansion of academic facilities in this area, which may involve creating a natural link between the natural and applied sciences. The campus planner will help determine what interim uses might be developed here, following the completion of Frank Gehry s Peter B. Lewis Science Library at the corner of Ivy Lane and Washington Road in 2007. Necessary district circulation and infrastructure improvements should be anticipated. Housing: As stated above, Princeton is largely a residential campus. Undergraduate students are required to live on campus and a significant portion of the graduate student population lives on campus as well. In fact, faculty and some staff are encouraged to live in close proximity to the campus. As Princeton University continues to grow and the high cost of housing in Princeton township and the surrounding area remains a factor, it will be necessary for the University to understand how best to use its current housing sites and what options might be available to meet future needs. The campus planner will support this effort by looking at potential campus-wide impacts as the housing plan is developed. Overview of Proposed Scope of Work and Critical Issues: The proposed campus plan is intended to identify and establish a long-term vision for the Princeton campus, offering quantifiable solutions to the physical challenges that the University will face during its next decade of growth. The planning process must specifically address the five projects outlined in this RFP while taking into consideration the five guiding principles developed by Princeton and the needs of the campus as a whole. The successful plan will guide the University s physical and programmatic growth needs within the context of the campus s unique architectural heritage and rational layout. Specific areas to be included in the campus planning team s scope of work include: RFP, Campus Planning March 2005 4
Zoning and land use review analysis Parking and transportation studies Circulation studies Utilities and infrastructure planning Landscape and site design Analysis of the campus s physical interface with Princeton Township, Princeton Borough and West Windsor Township Sustainable design and life-cycle analysis Resource conservation and water quality planning Campus graphics and wayfinding design Analysis of program needs and identification of new development sites Project support as needed for five development zones, including programming, building conditions analysis, cost estimating assistance, etc. The campus-wide studies outlined above will enable Princeton and its campus planning team to address the following kinds of issues that confront the University, and to develop options for potential solutions: How should Princeton address the inherent tension between the desire to maintain a walkable campus, add significant new facilities, and preserve the unique park-like sense of openness that gives the University its distinct identity? How should cars and parking facilities be dealt with in the context of this vision? Most of the core campus remaining feasible development sites are parking lots. As these sites are consumed, where should new parking facilities be located and how should they be accessed? Currently, Princeton has tended to move many of its administrative functions to the periphery of its campus. Given Princeton s needs for continued growth, how should the University locate these functions in a coherent way that best meets the needs of the Princeton community? What does it mean to be the center of the campus? Is the Frist Campus Center truly the University center, or are there different centers for different academic communities? What kinds of uses should be in the center and which should be moved to the periphery? What is the next feasible step for Princeton in the area of environmental sustainability, given that the University already operates a central power plant with full co-generation ability, and has already implemented many of the obvious green building measures? How can the University do a better job of communicating its environmental policies to the University community and external stakeholders, and making its actions in this area more transparent? Princeton s proposed Alexander Street/University Place cultural district represents the University s first attempt to create a mixed-use, town/gown neighborhood. How will this new development affect the University s core principle of strengthening relations with the local community? Are there other ways to make the campus more permeable to the community? The lead campus planning firm should identify appropriate subconsultants who have the capability to perform the desired campus-wide technical and analytic studies, as well as engage the types of issues outlined above. Princeton will also make available as needed the expertise and prior work of RFP, Campus Planning March 2005 5
engineering, technical, and sustainable design consultants who have worked with the University in the past. Project Management: The campus plan project will be managed by the University Architect, in consultation with the University Planner and the Vice President for Facilities. Princeton intends to work intensively with the campus planning team and to dedicate a significant amount of senior staff time to the project. It is anticipated that the campus planning team will meet approximately every two weeks with the Vice President for Administration, and approximately once a month with a small, hands-on Steering Committee comprised of the President, Provost, and other top administrators. Others who will be involved in the campus planning effort include certain faculty members with related professional experience and academic interests. Princeton seeks a corresponding level of engagement and senior staff dedication from its campus planning team. The ideal firm will commit to sustain a high level of partner or principal involvement over the two-year time frame of this engagement, and be prepared to work with Princeton in a client-focused, interactive, and participatory spirit. Princeton is looking for a team whose emphasis will be on providing the building blocks for the University to develop a plan for its campus from the ground up, as opposed to a consultant originated, design-driven master plan. Submission Requirements: Please provide the following information. Your response is expected to be complete but not elaborate and should specifically address the following requirements: 1. Please provide a list of your team including both members of your firm and other consultants and explain why each team member was selected and what each member s role will be. 2. Please discuss your team s experience in working with Princeton and/or its academic peers, providing brief descriptions of at least three projects that your firm and each team member completed that are similar in scale, purpose, and type to the study described in this RFP. For each project that you list, please provide the name, title, and telephone number of the person we may contact as a reference regarding your services. 3. Recognizing that no specific scope of work has been provided, please discuss your general understanding of the assignment and approach to the issues outlined here. What did you and your team learn from the institutions and assignments cited in #2, above, and how might that apply to Princeton s campus planning needs? Please also include a discussion of your team s perception of high-quality planning in higher education and for Princeton, using specific examples from your other projects. 4. Please provide a sample or samples of other master plans that you and your team members have completed for comparable institutions. If this is not possible, provide examples of solutions you crafted to address specific planning issues, as well as samples of graphic and other visual materials that your firm created to illustrate your work. RFP, Campus Planning March 2005 6
5. In general terms, explain how you would staff, organize, and manage the project, assuming that the project will take two years to complete and will involve an intensive commitment of time from the consulting team. List the personnel in your office who will be responsible for the project, including the partners or principals in charge, the project manager, and others as appropriate. Please provide resumes only for those people who will work actively on the project. 6. Please discuss how you would develop a fee proposal, should the University select your team. Provide the hourly rate for principals and technical, non-technical, and professional staff. Also provide any specialized consultant rates, if any are anticipated. Please note that the University expects to receive discounted rates for principals and non-technical staff given the volume of work involved. In addition, please estimate the percentage of direct out-ofpocket expenses you expect to incur for all items including reproductions. 7. Based on the assumed scope of work, please provide a non-binding estimate of the total cost of your services for this project, based on previous comparable work. 8. Please include any supporting information or material that you believe would be helpful in evaluating your team s qualifications or suitability for this project. Selection Process and Schedule Interested respondents may schedule a campus tour of Princeton that will be led by the University Architect and his staff. It is anticipated that the campus visit will accommodate multiple firms and will be held on Wednesday, March 30 th and/or Thursday, March 31 st. If you intend to submit a response to this RFP, please so advise by fax to K. Backus & Associates, Inc. at (212) 533-0789 no later than Wednesday, March 23 rd. Please also indicate whether your firm would like to participate in the campus tour, which date you prefer, and the names and titles of the people who will attend. Please note that attendance on the campus tour should be limited to a small group of team members. Responses are due no later than Friday, April 15, 2005 at 4 pm. Please submit copies as follows: 10 copies Pat Corcoran Contracts Manager Princeton University MacMillan Building Princeton, NJ 08544 Telephone: (609) 258-4395 2 copies Steven Jacobs, Senior Associate K. Backus & Associates, Inc. 230 West 41 st Street, Suite 1102 New York, NY 10036 Telephone: (212) 460-8601 Fax: (212) 533-0789 RFP, Campus Planning March 2005 7
Based on the responses, some firms may be selected to be interviewed. The date, time and location of these interviews will be scheduled by the University, but are expected to occur during the week of April 25 th. The successful team will be chosen on basis of its overall quality; its proposed approach to and understanding of the project; the teams relevant experience and demonstrated creativity; the quality and availability of the principals and staff proposed to perform the services, verified by references; and the proposed billing rate structure. As noted, Princeton will expect the selected team to start the assignment in June. Following is a summary of the anticipated schedule for selection of the campus planning team: March 15 March 23 March 30-31 April 15 Week of April 25th Week of May 16th Week of May 30th June Issue date of Invitation Fax due to K. Backus & Associates Dates for campus tour Proposal due Interviews of selected firms Selection by Princeton, negotiation of scope and fee Contract authorization by University Trustees Commencement of campus planning engagement Princeton University reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals that the University deems to be in its best interest. The University reserves the right and intends to negotiate the final scope of work, staff participation, team formation, and compensation before entering into contract with the successful proposer, including the right to terminate such contract at any time and for any reason before completion of the work thereunder. Attachments: A. Campus Map B. Campus Site Plans C. Campus Aerial Photograph RFP, Campus Planning March 2005 8