Plan would enable the 276-acre campus in Salisbury, North Carolina, to become the first higher-ed campus in the nation—possibly the world—to go beyond carbon neutrality and be nature positive.
Catawba College has retained HOK to create a regenerative landscape master plan that aims to solidify the school as a global leader in sustainability.
The regenerative landscape master plan builds on the school’s sustainability legacy and directly ties into its “Campus as Forest” vision. The plan seeks to move the school beyond carbon neutrality by ensuring Catawba’s campus positively restores the environment, similar to how a forest nurtures and restores its surrounding ecosystem.
“The ‘Campus as Forest’ plan aims to create a regional hub for regenerative education, inspiring others to flourish and thrive with us as we implement strategies to improve the performance of our natural landscapes and strengthen our communities,” said Lee Ball, Catawba College’s vice president of sustainability and executive director of the Center for the Environment.
Members of HOK’sRegenerative DesignandLandscape Architecturepractices held a kickoff workshop this month with Catawba College students, faculty and leadership. Residents and city officials from Salisbury and nearby Spencer also participated. Goals that emerged from the workshop included:
Develop a regenerative framework that reinforces ecosystem services to create a nature positive impact.
Foster a living-learning laboratory by engaging all departments through direct relationships and learning spaces within nature.
Create a dynamic destination where residents and visitors can explore, engage and experience an immersive campus landscape.
Become a model where people can learn about regenerative landscapes and regenerative design; be generous.
“We were blown away by the engagement we had during our workshops and look forward to collaborating more with Catawba College and local stakeholders on this important and pioneering work,” said HOK’sSean Quinn, director of Regenerative Design. “This project promises to be truly transformative—activating the campus, regenerating ecology and engaging the community.”
HOK will continue to refine the master plan through the fall with the goal of presenting it in January to the Catawba College Board of Trustees for adoption.
About HOK HOK is a global design, architecture, engineering and planning firm. Our 1,700 people collaborate across a network of 27 offices on three continents.
Celebrating our 70th anniversary in 2025, HOK is a collective of future-forward thinkers and designers who are driven to face the critical challenges of our time. We are dedicated to improving people’s lives, serving our clients and healing the planet. Together, we cultivate a culture of design excellence at the confluence of art and science, blending the power of creative expression with a clear sense of purpose.
HOK has been carbon neutral since 2022 and is dedicated to achieving net-zero emissions in the projects we design by 2030. In 2024, on average, HOK’s projects surpassed the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2030 energy reduction targets, achieving a 68% reduction in energy use intensity compared to baseline levels, with many already meeting or exceeding the targets. We’re committed to addressing both operational and embodied carbon through innovative research and design strategies, including structural optimization and sustainable material selection.
A center for sustainability, a powerhouse of the arts, and a leader in the sciences, business, and more. With 70+ academic programs — there’s nowhere Catawba can’t take you.
