Peter's Glen at Colgate University
At the heart of Colgate University, Peter’s Glen transforms a once-flooded, disconnected valley into a central landscape linking the historic hilltop quads with the expanding Middle Campus below. Plazas, terraces, and overlooks weave through a successional woodland, guiding movement while establishing a resilient framework in which the forested landscape will evolve with the campus for generations.
Landscape establishment in year one after construction
The Third Century Initiative recognized Peter’s Glen (The Ravine) as one of the most challenging areas on campus for managing stormwater due to its steep terrain.
Stormwater from approximately 20 acres of campus watershed is daylit through weirs, channels, and pools, slowing down and retaining water on site. Rain events, spring thaws, and seasonal flows become an ephemeral feature that students can engage with, while protecting downstream systems and integrating water management into everyday campus life.
A successional forest of over 500 trees, mostly native, and thousands of understory plantings establishes a new ecological framework, celebrating the valley’s diverse microclimates.
Materiality and furnishings reinforce the Glen’s character: regionally quarried bluestone and limestone evoke the geology of Central New York, creating an enduring palette.
MVVA worked with master craftspeople to create four custom black locust benches, each nestled in woodland alcoves. They provide comfortable spots to pause, study, or converse, offering a quiet and inviting retreat within the new landscape.
From the top of the hill to the valley below, Peter’s Glen is experienced as a journey—linking multiple areas of campus and creating a landscape that transports students and faculty for just a moment, as if in a distant native glen.
