united States merchant marine academy

kings point, ny

Overview

To achieve its mission, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) educates and trains its enrollees on an 82-acre campus bordering the Little Neck Bay on the north shore of Long Island, east of New York City. With over 40 buildings and structures situated on 82 acres of land, it has been determined that the Academy needs to plan for its future not just in terms of education and training programs, but also in terms of its real property assets in a comprehensive and holistic manner. Sound planning and management of these resources is key to the long-term commitment and investment in thoughtful and thorough planning.

The Academy does not project major increases in enrollment, but has a strong desire to modernize its aging facilities as well as add new amenities to the campus. Klavon was contracted to perform a holistic master planning program that focused on creating framework for the future of USMMA. The planning process began by engaging stakeholders through a five-day planning charrette, resulting in consensus on how to shape USMMA’s future through form-based code approach. Klavon interviewed numerous individuals from USMMA and conducted a five-day planning charrette with stakeholders including students, administration, faculty, and Academy employees.

The master plan included the preparation of a vision statement, identifying goals and objectives, assessing existing site features and facilities, and creating concept drawings for the general layout of new buildings, building additions, and related facilities. The final product was a master plan that featured a preferred design alternative for the campus including illustrative building concepts, cost modeling, and campus design standards.