Architect: Cannon Design

This project was named: Building of America, Top 50 Best New Construction projects in Upstate NY Eastwood Place Residence Hall –Canisius College, Buffalo, NY 2006

The expansion of Eastwood Place Residence Hall allowed for the development of many different areas of the Canisius Collage Campus, including parking, campus circulation routes between the academic quad and the residence quad, City streetscape and access from the surrounding neighborhoods to the Campus. In addition to the design that needed to take place as a result of the Residence Hall expansion, the College felt that a new design for the Palisano Student Pavilion, service access for fire trucks and deliveries as well as new dramatic design for the Chapel needed to be developed. By looking at these four areas together as a whole, a new dynamic design was developed that addressed student access and circulation between building and quads.

The expansion of Bosch Hall into the Eastwood Residence Hall created some unique design challenges due to significant grade changes between the entrance into the building from the City/parking lot side and the entrance into the building from the Campus/quad side. This provided an opportunity to create a dramatic curved wall that emphasized the three feet of change between these two entrances. This grade change also provided the opportunity to redesign how the chapel functions on the campus. Through the use of planters and a grand staircase the building now visually sits on a plinth thus elevating its presence on the campus.

The residence hall, Chapel and Palisano Student Pavilion are integrated into the Campus through the connection of new walkways, stairs and ramps into the existing network of Campus walkways. Elm trees were chosen for this neighborhood as a tribute to the once magnificent tree canopy found throughout Buffalo.

A ramp is necessary for access to the Palisano Student Pavilion, and the college had expressed a desire for an outdoor seating area that could double as a performance space. The design of the ramps, stairs and terrace all work in concert to provide access as well as “stage left and stage right” access to the performance area.

Delivery drop-off and a fire access lane were necessities for the campus. We were able to use concrete pavers to create an oversized “walk” similar to others on campus for the fire lane. Deliveries and added parking occur on what is now called the “dot”. The ground plane at the south eastern edge of the residence quad uses pavers, concrete and asphalt to define different uses but is one continuous surface elevation allowing fire access, truck deliveries during the day, an added parking area in the evening, all with easy snow clearing in the winter.

The expansion of Eastwood Place Residence Hall allowed for the redesign of the parking lot. This new parking lot design also allowed for the development of new pedestrian crosswalks from Buffalo city sidewalks into the heart of the campus. The parking lot was pulled away from Eastwood Place allowing for a pedestrian space between the parking lot and Eastwood Place. This larger space allowed for a new City sidewalk planted heavily on both sides with Horse Chestnut Trees, a lawn space on the parking lot edge and a bermed planter between the lawn strip and parking lot. The residential side of Eastwood Place was also improved with the removal and replacement of the existing City sidewalk and the removal of existing street trees that were in poor condition. These few trees were replaced with thirty new Elm trees. The difference in street trees helps to distinguish the campus edge of the street and the City edge, while extending the campus edge into the community. The selection of the Elm tree also replaces the historic edge of the campus providing a large street tree canopy once found throughout Buffalo.