AESTHETICS REVIEW COMMITTEE AND AESTHETICS REVIEW PROCESS
FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA–LINCOLN
REVISED JUNE, 2000
Authority:
The Chancellor hereby establishes the membership of the Aesthetics
Review Committee (ARC) and its function of reviewing and making
recommendations as outlined in the following paragraphs on projects
that could have a significant impact on the exterior aesthetics
of the UNL campuses.
Purpose:
To maintain and promote the planning objectives, architectural
and aesthetic character of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Membership:
The Aesthetics Review Committee (ARC) shall consist of the Campus
Architect (chair), the Campus Landscape Architect (vice chair),
the Dean of the College of Architecture (or designee), the Campus
Planner, and one faculty member from the Academic Planning Committee.
The Academic Planning Committee shall appoint the faculty member
to a one-year term on the ARC. When a member of the ARC cannot
attend a meeting of the ARC, that member may designate a person
from the member’s unit or committee to represent the member
at the meeting.
Definitions:
Project – any undertaking of facilities remodeling, altering,
renovating or maintenance; or an addition to, demolition of, or
new construction of any building or structure; development of
the landscape; or the placement of a work of art outside of the
Sheldon Sculpture Garden, exterior signage, banners or other improvement
of real property.
Landscape – the design, location, construction or planting
of ground cover, shrubs and trees; plazas, fountains, pools,
sidewalks, parking lots, roads, drives, bicycle racks, benches,
kiosks and other exterior furniture.
Impact on the exterior aesthetics of a campus – the visual
impact of any exterior change, system of changes or addition
to real property owned by the University and located on campus.
Process:
All UNL project proposals must be submitted to the Campus Architect
except for landscape projects, the placement of freestanding exterior
art or signage, and the placement of banners (refer to the UNL
Banner Policy), which shall be submitted to the Campus Landscape
Architect. It shall be their responsibility to refer to ARC those
proposals that will have a significant impact on the exterior
aesthetics of the UNL campuses. Minor projects
($250,000 and under) – All minor projects that
could have a significant impact on the exterior aesthetics of
a campus must be acted on by the ARC early in the design process.
If a significant change in a project's design or site development
is proposed after the ARC has reviewed and commented on its
preliminary design, the Campus Architect or the Campus Landscape
Architect shall bring the project back to the ARC for further
review and recommendation on the aesthetic impacts of those
proposed changes.
The Aesthetics Review Committee (ARC) is advisory to the Assistant
Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management and Planning. ARC's
recommendations and the Assistant Vice Chancellor's decisions
are required to be consistent with campus planning goals and
objectives set forth in the current campus master plan. The
ARC shall recommend to the Assistant Vice Chancellor (1) approval,
(2) approval contingent upon specific modifications, or (3)
disapproval on all projects. It will be the ARC chair's responsibility
to transmit its recommendations to the Assistant Vice Chancellor.
It will be the responsibility of the Assistant Vice Chancellor
for Facilities Management and Planning to consider ARC recommendations
and either approve or disapprove proposed minor projects in
a timely manner.
It will be the responsibility of the Assistant Vice Chancellor
for Facilities Management and Planning to see that the ARC meets
its responsibilities in a timely and effective manner, and that
decisions are transmitted to the proposers.
If the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management
and Planning disagrees with the ARC's recommendations, he/she
shall ask the ARC for further consideration. If consensus cannot
be reached, the issue shall be forwarded through the Vice Chancellor
for Business and Finance to the Chancellor for a decision.
The proposer of a project disapproved by the Assistant Vice
Chancellor for Facilities Management and Planning may (1) cancel
the project, (2) accept design modifications recommended by
the ARC and Assistant Vice Chancellor and resubmit the project,
or (3) appeal the action. All appeals shall be routed through
the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management and
Planning to the Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance, who
will introduce the appeal to the Chancellor's Cabinet for review
and recommendation. The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities
Management and Planning will provide the ARC with copies of
all appeals that are sent forward.
After discussion with the Cabinet, the Chancellor will rule
on the appeal and notify appellants of the decision, with copies
to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management and
Planning and members of the ARC in a timely manner.
Medium Scale Projects ($250,000 --$1,000,000)
– All medium scale projects that could have a significant
impact on the exterior aesthetics of the UNL campus will be
reviewed by the ARC during the schematic design process. The
ARC shall make recommendations to the professionals who are
developing these projects and the Assistant Vice Chancellor
for Facilities Management and Planning. If a significant change
in a project’s design or site development is proposed
after the ARC has reviewed and commented on its schematic design,
the Campus Architect will bring the project back to the ARC
for further review and recommendation on the aesthetic impact
of those proposed changes. Schematic design documents and recommendations
from ARC will be sent to the Chancellor by the Assistant Vice
Chancellor for Facilities Management and Planning. Schematic
design documents that are approved by the Chancellor shall be
forwarded to the Board of Regents, at the Chancellor’s
discretion. Documents that are disapproved, or require modification,
shall be returned to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities
Management and Planning through the Vice Chancellor for Business
and Finance. The Chancellor’s decision shall be communicated
to the project proposers and the ARC in a timely manner.
Major Projects (over $1,000,000) – All
major projects that could have a significant impact on the exterior
aesthetics of the UNL campus will be reviewed by the ARC during
a series of two charrettes and a Schematic Design review session.
They will take place during the development of the Program Statement,
early in the Schematic Design Phase, and near the end of the
Schematic Design Phase. Participants in the charrettes and Schematic
Design review will include:
- the Chancellor (or the Chancellor’s designee),
- appropriate Vice Chancellors,
- consulting architects who have been commissioned for the
project
- the project manager
- the Aesthetics Review Committee, and
- appropriate Program/Building Committee/User representatives.
The ARC will be expected to actively participate in the charrettes.
At the conclusion of each charrette, the ARC may choose to document
its observations and recommendations in written form and share
them with the charrette participants. At the conclusion of the
Schematic Design review session, the ARC shall make recommendations
to the professionals who are developing these projects and the
Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities Management and Planning.
Schematic design documents and recommendations from ARC will
be sent to the Chancellor by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for
Facilities Management and Planning. Schematic design documents
that are approved by the Chancellor shall be forwarded to the
Board of Regents, at the Chancellor’s discretion, with
copies to members of ARC. Documents that are disapproved, or
require modification, shall be returned to the Assistant Vice
Chancellor for Facilities Management and Planning. The Chancellor’s
decision shall be communicated to the project proposers and
ARC in a timely manner.
If a significant change in a project’s design or site
development is proposed after the ARC has reviewed and commented
on the Schematic Design, the Campus Architect will bring the
project back to the ARC for further review and recommendation
on the aesthetic impact of those proposed changes.
Review of ARC Effectiveness:
The ARC and the Aesthetics Review Process shall be subject to
periodic review by the Chancellor, who may modify, maintain or
terminate the committee and process at his/her discretion.
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