In 1950, the Board of Regents purchased a few hundred acres of land located north of the Huron River near the Medical Campus. The land, full of hickory and oak trees, was primarily used for farming. Located in the Huron River Valley, Native American tribes often crossed through in their travels. There was no immediate use for the land; the University just wanted it in case they were looking to expand. After all, once World War II ended, government money was constantly pumped into new engineering research and a growing student body was overflowing on Central Campus. Eventually, the demand for more research facilities grew too large, married students needed a place to live, and enrollment had increased to the point that the University began planning to possibly accommodate more than 100,000 students. The land was put to use, and North Campus was born.

More than 50 years later, North Campus, which has grown to include more than 800 acres of land, is still trying to shake the stigma of being the home to everything that doesn't fit on Central Campus. North Campus has a Diag, a bell tower and a recreation building, but they are perceived as secondary to their Central Campus counterparts. The Northwood apartments serve as dorms when Central Campus runs out of space. The best concert venues and restaurants require at least a 10-minute bus ride, and most sporting events are two campuses away. The twisting roads are more tailored for automobiles than pedestrians, creating an isolated, spread-out feel.

Still, the land has a natural beauty and a unique atmosphere. Students who live on North Campus enjoy the tranquility of the area and the open spaces that are its trademark. Where some see nothing, others enjoy the naturally sloping landscape.

"You don't have the same hustle and bustle as on Central," said Michael Swanigan, director of Pierpont Commons, the North Campus equivalent to the Michigan Union or Michigan League. "The ambiance is a lot more relaxing - a lot more laid-back."

The University - as it does with Central and South Campus - has constantly evaluated the land and offered solutions for its future. Now, the wheels are in motion to make North Campus the destination spot that University members believe it can be.

The history

Since there were no original intended uses for the land, the University needed a plan. It turned to Eero Saarinen, an esteemed Finnish architect. In a piece-by-piece fashion, the land began to develop. First came the Mortimer Cooley Electronics Laboratory in 1951, then the Phoenix Laboratory in 1955, and so on.

Even though the buildings have been there for more than 50 years, North Campus has not always been a haven for "enginerds" - the slang term used to describe engineering students. In fact, the College of Engineering didn't even complete the move from Central Campus until 1986. The move ended up happening slightly ahead of schedule, according to James Duderstadt, former University president and Engineering dean. In his book, "On the Move: A Personal History of Michigan Engineering," Duderstadt tells the story of going for a run on Christmas morning in 1981 and learning that the economics building had been burned to the ground by an arsonist. The economics department had to relocate, and since the College of Engineering was planning on moving anyway, the problem was solved. When the college made its move, it joined the School of Music - which, in 1964, was the first school to travel north, settling into a building designed by Saarinen himself - and the School of Architecture and Art.

When considering different aspects of constructing new buildings on North Campus, many factors are taken into consideration. According to University planner Sue Gott, every project is taken on a case-by-case basis.

"We look at the nature of any project and understand what the siting requirements for any project are," she said.

Those requirements include placing units in close proximity to promote more interaction between faculty and students, matching up needed sizes to available sites and maximizing efficiency with regards to entry points and materials.

"Every project may have some unique principles that respond to either the particular site . or the program and how the program needs to be reflected," Gott says.

The 1984 North Campus Planning Study, the report suggested that North Campus buildings generally be low-profile and fit in with the east-west grid of the original Saarinen plan.