The College of Mount Saint Vincent, established in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, sits on a scenic, 70-acre site that slopes from street level down to the edge of the Hudson River in the Bronx. The campus includes handsome 19th-century buildings, some early 20th-century neoclassical structures, and a scattering of more modern buildings constructed in the second half of the century. Although individual buildings are striking and the Hudson River site is spectacular, the school lacked the coherence of an organized campus.

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A site analysis revealed three distinct landscape plateaus. The uppermost plateau, the “grotto park,” is adjacent to Riverdale Avenue.  The second plateau at mid-slope is the “campus core."   It accommodates the library, science building, auditorium, and some dormitories. The plateau at the base of the slope is the “river lawn,” defined by the iconic 19th-century Academic Building.

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The Master Plan illustrated how future campus development could relate to the realities of topography and view—to the three plateaus.  It identified how new buildings could create interconnected outdoor rooms at the mid-level terrace.  The plan also showed how to create distinct pedestrian and vehicular movement paths that intersect and overlap.  Over the next ten years, the implementation of projects at MSV was guided by these considerations.

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