Antioch College Village Vision Planning

Project Description

Founded in 1852, and one of the first co-educational colleges in the nation to offer equal educational opportunities to women and African Americans, Antioch College embraces inclusiveness and connectivity to this day. Evidence can be seen in the proposed Antioch College Village, a 160-home residential neighborhood for people with and without College affiliation that will be woven into the campus. The College intends for the Village to become a certified “Living Community” which adheres to the stringent standards established by the Living Future Institute for sustainable, equitable communities.

To help the College realize its vision for this unique neighborhood, a planning team headed up by Consilience LLC led a three-day public design charrette with members of the campus community and citizens of Yellow Springs. Biohabitats brought a focus on ecology and water to the planning process, working with planners from Dover, Kohl & Partners and energy consultants, Integral Group.

Biohabitats shared information about the flow of water through the campus, as well as the local and regional ecology, working with participants to explore ways to integrate low impact development, sustainable stormwater management, and ecological systems and functionality into the new neighborhood. Biohabitats also collaborated with charrette participants on ways to enhance connectivity between the campus, the greater community of Yellow Springs, and a nearby nature preserve.

The final plan for the Antioch College Village now promotes preservation of mature tree canopy, integrates sustainable stormwater management practices in the landscape, celebrates local ecology, and enhances connectivity for people and nature.