Designer Solicitations ? Carolina North Place Strategy

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) is soliciting submittals from qualified placemaking, urban experience, and creative strategy consultants to prepare a Place Strategy for Carolina North, a mixed-use campus. Carolina North represents an opportunity to create a vibrant new campus district that supports the University's long-term research, academic and enrollment growth initiatives, enhances existing community amenities, and delivers a world-class mixed-use environment that includes exceptional public spaces and an inviting retail/entertainment district. This scope of work will craft a compelling narrative framework, building upon an existing body of work, for Carolina North, which will be the guiding influence in the implementation of the project.

The Place Strategy will address:

- Student housing, academic, research and mixed-use districts;

- Public-facing activation and everyday life; and

- The relationship between buildings and the public realm.

The outcome is a story-driven guide to inform future planning, design teams, and development partners. This scope of work does not include a master planning design component. There is a separate RFQ for the initial land use and infrastructure master plan for Carolina North. Submitting to this Place Strategy RFQ does not preclude any firm from participating in, or leading, a Design Team for the master planning RFQ.

Pre-Submission Meeting:

A pre-submission meeting will be held on Feb. 24, 2026 at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Please use the following link: unc.zoom.us/j/99883353905 .

This meeting will provide an opportunity to ask questions of University staff and representatives.

Please see the University's Carolina North website for further information.

Project Brief (opens PDF in new window)

Tiffany Lacey

Executive Director for Real Estate Development

RE: Carolina North - Place Strategy RFQ

Facilities Planning and Design

Giles Horney Building | CB 1090 | 202H

103 Airport Drive

Chapel Hill, NC 27599

email: carolinanorthplanning@unc.edu

Advertisement Type: Designer Solicitations