CRI, South Village decks recognized for design excellence

The International Parking Association has given 2014 Awards of Merit to the University’s CRI Deck I and the South Village Deck.

For its competition, the association fielded entries from Australia, Canada, Europe, South America and the United States.

According to the Parking and Transportation Office, CRI Deck 1 has 1,347 spaces and provides parking for faculty, staff and students on the west side of campus, as well as for events at Richardson Stadium. The seven-level deck was designed with induction lighting, white-stained ceilings, integrated bicycle lockers, RFID-operated gates, visitor parking via two pay-on-foot kiosks and a large bus pull-off. Rectangular in shape, the deck utilizes a cast-in-place concrete structure with precast exterior designed to match the University’s signature “Morrocroft Red” brick. It was planned with future use; the deck is pre-wired to accommodate electric vehicle chargers and could serve a proposed conference center.

The South Village Deck serves the more than 2,000 students who live in the nearby residence halls, along with faculty, staff and visitors. With a capacity of 1,247 vehicles, the deck was designed with automated vehicle identification for contract parking, as well as pay-on-foot and pay-in-lane visitor parking. The deck’s cast-in-place structure requires little active maintenance and was designed with a precast exterior to match the University’s brick standard. Features include high-performance concrete, induction lighting, white-stained ceilings, waterproofing systems, a wash-down water supply and bicycle lockers. South Village Deck is prewired to accommodate electric vehicle chargers in the future, too. The deck’s four-bay design provides efficiency and operational flexibility with smooth traffic flow for entrance and exit.

Officials noted the deck’s continuous single-run staircase, which is oriented toward the residential village, gives the structure a grand, open feeling, and it creates a safer environment for pedestrians.