In May 2008, the Durham, New Hampshire Town Council received the final recommendations for the development of a village center in the home of the University of New Hampshire. This plan was the result of a year-long collaborative effort between the Mill Plaza Study Committee and the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and its AIANH 150 partners. The center will include a grocery store, retail shops, office space, and new housing, providing residents with an area where they can enjoy both indoor and outdoor activities.
The plan, which includes green building techniques, stresses environmental sustainability, such as integrating the building of a new library and the protecting of nearby College Brook. CBI’s Patrick Field and associate Adam Knowlton-Young collaborated on the report, along with an AIANH 150 team of architects, planners, and landscape architects. Dozens of public meetings, workshops, and focus groups were held in the Durham community over the 16 months during which planning took place. The plan was awarded “2008 Plan of the Year” in May 2008 by the New Hampshire Planning Association for its design-based approach to revitalizing downtown Durham.