Plymouth State University, Plymouth & Holderness, NH
A new era for a historic New England campus
Plymouth State University is a 145-year-old public institution of 6,000 students located beside a thriving Main Street in New Hampshire’s White Mountains region. Today, the heart of the PSU campus is attractive and walkable, with new and historic buildings surrounding a classic campus green. The Goody Clancy-led master plan, completed in 2013, provides the framework for repurposing outmoded residential and dining facilities to meet new academic needs; for adding much-needed new academic, athletic and dining space in support of recent enrollment growth; and for strengthening newer portions of PSU as cohesive, walkable parts of the campus, with strong links to the historic campus core.
The master planning process engaged the entire campus community through Steering Committee meetings, open campus forums, climate action plan events, surveys, and other activities.
The plan includes:
- Development of a new 50,000 SF dining commons and student housing at an important hinge between campus destinations
- Extension of the campus green to incorporate facilities that have long felt isolated from the heart of PSU
- Completion of a new center for academics, athletics, and recreation, with strong linkages to downtown Plymouth and the campus core
- Phased replacement of deteriorating townhouse development and replacement with more compact, attractive and energy efficient housing
- A step-by-step plan for advancing PSU’s climate action goals, including a 50% reduction in the university’s carbon footprint by 2025
