The purpose of the project was to replace an outdated tree grove, known formerly as the Ash Grove, with a reinvigorated and more inclusive campus courtyard. In 2019, Marquette University published a Cultural Audit of Campus Spaces report that found a lack of inclusive spaces and recommended stakeholder engagement. With the removal of several ash trees due to Emerald Ash Borer and the re-development of the adjacent Straz Hall, the time came to propose a new design for the campus courtyard that would become the X.Space.

 

The project team consisted of the client and a full-service design firm. The Architect served as the Project Manager and was instrumental in building trust and open dialogue with the client. The community engagement team crafted an engagement plan. The Landscape Architect was integral in the development of the X.Space vision and communications to internal and external stakeholders. A fundamental aspect of the Landscape Architect’s role involved researching recent student advocacy around the murder of George Floyd, the desire for meaningful representation and facilitating conversations about the spatial considerations of inclusion.

 

This project is significant for the team’s holistic approach to design: both externally and internally. From the beginning, the team advocated for greater stakeholder inclusion during visioning. Specifically, what was originally going to be a temporary design associated with the re-development of the nearby Straz Hall, became a full-fledged pre-design with a thoughtfully considered community engagement plan. The project team heard from almost 400 stakeholders through committee meetings, 5 public workshops, in-person pop-up sessions, and 2 online surveys. The result is a dramatic engagement process that found unique design solutions, invigorated campus interest in the X.Space, and commemorates the contributions of past, present, and future communities on the Marquette University campus community.

 

Internally, this project is significant to our firm because it demonstrated the power of interdisciplinary design. Better design outcomes arise when we listen to each other, collaborate, and are open to innovative ideas. As a nationally recognized architecture and engineering firm, this landscape architecture project signifies the best of what we can accomplish and should be an example of interdisciplinary collaboration in the future.

 

The project is unique for the level of trust and openness fostered amongst all stakeholders with tight budgetary constraints. Kudos to the client for their flexibility with the Straz Hall project schedule, to the community for sticking with us and offering input, to the Architect for their ongoing advocacy of the design team, and to our community engagement team that collected a wealth of feedback.