I INSTITUTIONAL LANDSCAPE
A new heart for social interaction Eda U. Gerstacker Grove: a flexible and resilient social space at the University of Michigan By: Stoss The Eda U. Gerstacker Grove is a renovation of a 4-acre underutilized campus quad at the center of the University of Michigan’s North Campus. The Grove activates the space for the students, faculty, and administrators on campus, while it also serves as the heart of student social life. The project goals included; to create an outdoor civic space that effectively knits the campus community together, encourages collaborative, multidisciplinary learning, connects to the natural systems that underpin the campus, and provides a sense of place. Programming, flexibility, and seasonality The Grove is a lush and active space that can accommodate a range of rotating performances, events, and everyday activities. It was conceived as a flexible green quad, with clearings in an elegant grove that can host larger-scale activities like musical and arts performances, student and alumni events, and casual play or recreation including beach volleyball and swings. The
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