Author: Jacob Livingston

Since the opening of it’s Swamp Rabbit Trail in 2010, the city of Greenville has drastically benefited from the positive contributions the additional outdoor recreational space brought to its community. The trail encouraged local citizens to walk, run, or bike outdoors along it’s nearly 20 miles that stretch from Greenville Technical College to the city of Travelers Rest, and features plenty of sights along the way, including Furman University and the Swamp Rabbit Café. Communities like Clemson have been looking to model area spaces with similarities to Greenville’s cross-town trail.

According to Planning & Design Director Gerald Vander Mey, Clemson won’t have to wait much longer.  Recently, Vander Mey and his team received a $1M grant from the South Carolina Department of Transportation for the implementation of an outdoor walking and biking trail running from the edge of Clemson University’s campus towards the city of Pendleton. The grant has been matched with an additional $250K in funds from the University, and will be used for the grading, drainage, paving, signage, and trail head amenities for the path. Vander Mey says the overall goal of the trail will be to eventually reach the Clemson University Research Park in Anderson, but that it will take time and additional planning to extend it that far.

This project is said to come from a continued effort by the University and its staff to support healthy living, sustainability, and the need for transportation demand management (TDM). University Facilities has managed similar projects in the past, such as creating bike ways along Perimeter Road as well as extending pedestrian sidewalks on campus, and are looking forward to the opportunity to create a new trail for public use. The project will be managed by SCDOT, and will stretch at least to Highway 93. This will allow the trail to connect to the Green Crescent Trail, another outdoor biking and walking path that will stretch from Clemson, through Central, and out to Easley.

The trail leading from Clemson will be paved with asphalt, and will stretch 10 feet wide to leave room for walkers, bikers, and runners coming from either direction.  Vander Mey says that he not only expects the trail to help enhance the quality of life of the campus and community, but that he also thinks it will help recruit and retain more students in the future, as well as provide new opportunities for outdoor-based classes and programs for Clemson students.

Meetings between the Planning & Design department and SCDOT are underway, and initial plans for the trail have been presented to administration and the Board of Trustees.

East campus has gained an exciting addition in the newly refurbished Barnes Center, an old sheep barn turned late night student center. The building has been revamped to include a large common space equipped with TVs, speakers, a portable stage, furniture, and a food service area. Before it was reopened, however, the affectionately-named “sheep barn” offered a strong historic point of contact for Clemson’s campus.

Origin

Constructed around 1904, the barn was originally built to house dairy cows while providing a learning space for livestock education and research. It wasn’t until many years later that it would be used to store sheep, earning it the nickname that would last for decades. After the sheep moved out, the building doubled as an electrical shop and storage space before being completely vacated until early 2015, when planning for the Barnes Center began. It’s significance to the campus landed it a place in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The old Sheep Barn’s new namesake comes from Clemson alumnus and Clemson Medallion recipient, Frank S. Barnes Jr., whose family lovingly gifted the Center to students as a new premiere social space for the university.

The Renovation Plan

Once the refurbishment project was approved, University Facilities hired architects to begin the design process, which included hearing feedback through a series of presentations to faculty and students. As with previous renovation projects, reusing as much of the original building material as possible was a primary goal in order to honor the building’s history and retain its rustic style, while reducing costs.  Many posts and interior columns needed to be replaced due to age and environmental exposure, but several of the original supports were rebound and saved. Other modifications included the addition of lighting optimal for evening operations, insulation replacement, and the refurbishment of old windows and vents throughout the building.

The renovation included consideration for the use of the building’s exterior space as well. Project managers and administrators in Campus Activities and Events expect many events to be held outdoors, and thus designed a concrete patio space where student groups can arrange events and performances. The patio sits adjacent to the Barnes Center and includes seating, lighting, an outdoor speaker system, and a lawn for additional space that students can utilize. A building for extra storage and restrooms was also placed behind the center to help accommodate these outdoor events.

An Eye for the Details

Barnes Center Project Manager, Kevin McDonough, expressed his excitement for the continuation of the original structure of the barn. This was done through small details, such as lighting to emphasize the crossbeams and supports in the ceiling, and the return of the barn to its original color. As part of the historical restoration, samples of the barn’s more recent red paint were taken. Microscopic analysis tests revealed that the original color was indeed white, so the barn was given a fresh coat of its first shade over the outer wooden siding. Furthermore, McDonough and his team kept everything above the first-floor level original to remind visitors of the historic context of the building.

According to McDonough, renovations of the building are complete for now, but there may be future plans to construct a permanent stage near the Center’s outdoor patio. The Barnes Center is already open for student use, with events held most Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.