A vibrant, sustainable campus connector

University of Chicago Campus South Walk

Location	Chicago, Illinois
Client	The University of Chicago
Expertise	Resilience & Sustainability, Inclusive & Accessible Design
Size	1 acre
Completion	2021

University of chicago campus south walk pathway site design group

The Campus South Walk at the University of Chicago reimagines a critical east-west pedestrian corridor as a cohesive, high-performing landscape linking major developments across three city blocks. More than circulation, it creates an immersive public space that integrates academic and civic life while establishing a flexible framework for future growth.

Cohesive Design Language Across Campus

As the backbone of the Campus South vision, the Walk connects the David Rubenstein Forum, the Keller Center (home to the Harris School of Public Policy), Woodlawn Residential Commons, the Study Hotel, and the Campus South Mixed-Use Facility.

Each building’s distinct architecture and program informed the design approach, while a unified palette of materials, planting, and furnishings brings them together into a shared, human-scaled landscape that supports daily campus life.

Serving as design lead for the Campus South Walk and its surrounding landscapes, we established and implemented a cohesive design language across all five projects - from schematic design through construction. This included integrated planting strategies, material systems, site furnishings, and coordinated stormwater strategies. Close collaboration, careful phasing, and adaptability to evolving timelines ensured continuity while minimizing disruption to campus operations.

Scaled Infrastructure

At a district scale, the project consolidates stormwater management through rain gardens, bioinfiltration zones, and underground detention. This coordinated approach reduces pressure on local infrastructure while supporting a resilient landscape framework.

An Open Campus Edge

Equally important, the Walk reshapes the University’s relationship with the surrounding Woodlawn community. Where campus edges once turned inward, the design establishes an open and welcoming threshold, introducing new pathways and gathering spaces that invite students, faculty, and neighbors into the campus environment. Underutilized areas are transformed into socially and ecologically productive landscapes, grounded in native planting, stormwater infrastructure, and regionally sourced materials.

Landscape as Connection

The Campus South Walk demonstrates how landscape can connect people, places, and ecological systems into a unified and resilient whole.