Lake Superior State University

Campus Master Plan

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Established in 1946 to address the needs of returning World War II veterans and to provide educational opportunities to the people of the Eastern Upper Peninsula, Lake Superior State University still embodies the essence of earlier times. In an effort to stay abreast of 21st century landscape of higher education, TowerPinkster, in partnership with Corbin Design conducted a Campus Master Plan focusing on the current trajectory of LSSU and moving into the 21st century while paying respect to the campus’ historic background.

TowerPinkster gathered and analyzed data from staff, faculty and students in order to determine the needs of the college campus facilities and gauge further initiatives. Our team came to understand the three themes that would be central to their growth and development over the span of the next 20 years.

The first theme was Community: our team saw the importance of creating a welcoming campus for the entire Community, enhancing residential life options, and environmental branding as well as acknowledging the history/culture of the campus.

Secondly, improving the campus organization became a priority for the campus: efficiently utilizing campus buildings and spaces, simplifying vehicular movement and wayfinding, and creating campus zones. Lastly, enhancing student life through promoting learning and living spaces; this includes, prioritizing learner-centered indoor and outdoor spaces to enrich 21st-century education, and making sustainability and the natural campus setting a core focus for future projects, integrating them into the curriculum and physical planning. Creating a vision for Lake Superior State University’s future is an important step to ensuring the longevity and future growth of this institution. The master plan highlights and illustrates the strengths and potential of LSSU’s future while allowing for flexibility for the unknown opportunities that await the university.

HigherEd LSSU Master Plan2 e1541619391462
HigherEd LSSU Master Plan1 e1541619403977