UL Lafayette: CDW:Oil Center: Introduction

				Oil Center: Introduction


				NEXT PAGE TOPICS introduction courtyards parks & walks landscape core community	The Oil Center urban design project was a collaborative effort between the University of Southwestern Louisiana School of Architecture Community Design Workshop and the Oil Center Renaissance Association (OCRA). The Workshop placed the center of importance on forming a partnership with the residents of the Oil Center area, as well as to comprise a comprehensive urban design strategy for the Oil Center. This strategy included three main objectives: (1) to transform suburban office buildings into buildings that operate to reinforce urban conditions;(2) to organize a comprehensive pedestrian environment and (3) to strengthen the Oil Center's urban relationship with greater Lafayette. The Oil Center represents a hybrid of two urban conditions; the fact that the area is neither completely urban nor suburban presents a design strategy. Partnerships formed with the general public were considered a major issue when the Workshop initially approached the design project. This allowed for a greater exchange of ideas about the community and surrounding areas. The various ideas were exchanged through the process of public meetings, surveys of citizens and the interviewing of businesspersons, city officials, professionals and residents. The Workshop also set up a temporary office within the Oil Center, which allowed for public participation and informal exchange of ideas. Charrettes were also held with member of OCRA, administrators of Lafayette General Hospital, Oil Center tenants, local architects, city officials, property owners and other interested parties, who each had an opportunity to review all of the information obtained and presented by the Workshop. These charrettes focused on urban strategies, the transformation of a suburban architecture to an urban form, streetscape design strategies and the relationship and impact of automobile and parking, pedestrian spaces and vegetation.

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Document last revised Thursday, April 22, 2004 11:19 AM