The University of Tennessee Chattanooga, commonly referred to as UTC, is a thriving community-engaged, urban institution known for its heritage buildings, beautiful grounds, vibrant campus culture, and active student life. It draws individuals who seek the distinctive and intimate educational environment that sets it apart from larger universities. The UTC 2021 Strategic Plan and Strategic Initiatives commit the institution to ongoing growth, creating a hub for cutting-edge research, and showcasing STEM programs and applied learning.
The University selected DLR Group to create a comprehensive Campus Master Plan update that reflected new leadership, post-pandemic changes, and evolving partnerships. Our team developed a roadmap for campus improvements that was both ambitious and realistic, integrating space analytics with an improved campus experience, new programs, and real estate constraints. The implementation and capital planning strategies to guide UTC’s physical development over the next 10 years were vetted by the University of Tennessee System and approved by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and State Building Commission.
The updated Campus Master Plan facilitates the 2021 Strategic Plan, promotes the University’s mission, and documents the vision for an exemplary physical campus environment. It supports campus decision-making with integrated campus assessments and recommendations for facilities, land use, open space, infrastructure, circulation, and connectivity.
The UTC Campus Master Plan serves as a blueprint for data and fiscally informed building expansions and site improvements that renew existing facilities and reinforce the positive aspects of the campus. Proposed facilities are grounded in a campus BIM model and a space needs study organized by department and strategic initiatives. State metrics are compared with national best practices and guidelines. Projections detail the necessary interior space to support anticipated 10-year enrollments, external grant expenditures, and partnerships on campus. The study incorporates a qualitative gap analysis that considers “fit to program,” highest and best use of land, context, and program adjacencies.
The University of Tennessee Chattanooga Campus Master Plan update created a flexible and implementable vision for the continued development of the 442-acre urban campus over the next 10 years. The plan included post-pandemic space analytics as well as recommendations for serving student needs for housing and dining, improving the campus sense of belonging, building new academic programs, positioning centers for excellence and research, and expanding nationally recognized engagement with the city and region. This comprehensive blueprint for campus improvement enhanced the campus’s physical infrastructure and ensured its alignment with the University’s strategic goals and aspirations.
