University Plaza, or more commonly The Brickyard, is a public plaza at the heart of North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...

's North Campus in Raleigh

Raleigh, North Carolina

Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...

, North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. It is the university's most active court and has been the site of numerous special events.

Details

The plaza, conceived of and designed by landscape architect Richard C. Bell, FASLA, is mostly covered with red and white bricks which have been organized into various decorative mosaics. There are two main green areas on the plaza, one on the east side and one on the west. The east green area features two concrete chairs which serve as parabolic reflectors, amplifying and focusing sound waves so that someone sitting in one chair can easily hear the person in the other chair from a far distance. Harrelson Hall, a cylindrical classroom building is situated on the southeast corner of the plaza; D. H. Hill Library

D. H. Hill Library

The D. H. Hill Library is the main library at North Carolina State University. It is the third building to house NCSU Libraries, following Brooks Hall and Holladay Hall...

 is located on the north side of the Brickyard.

Special events

• Many university-sponsored events take place on the Brickyard, including the annual Habitat for Humanity Shack-a-thon. Shacks are built on the Brickyard and viewed by students, as well as the public, as a fundraiser
  Fundraiser
  A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
  
   for the Habitat for Humanity. This is an annual event that takes place every autumn.

• The Stanley Cup
  Stanley Cup
  The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
  
   made an appearance on the plaza on December 4, 2006. Students were able to touch the cup and take pictures with the cup. Its appearance followed the Carolina Hurricanes
  Carolina Hurricanes
  The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
  
  's 2006 Stanley Cup Championship win, which was won at Raleigh's RBC Center.

• A prototype NASA
  NASA
  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
  
   Crew Return Vehicle
  Crew Return Vehicle
  The Crew Return Vehicle , sometimes referred to as the Assured Crew Return Vehicle , is the proposed lifeboat or escape module for the International Space Station...
  
   once made an appearance on the Brickyard. Speeches were given beside it.

• North Carolina State University's Earth Day
  Earth Day
  Earth Day is a day that is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment. The name and concept of Earth Day was allegedly pioneered by John McConnell in 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco. The first Proclamation of Earth Day was by San Francisco, the...
  
  http://www.ncsu.edu/earthday/ celebration occurs on the Friday before April 22nd each year. The event highlights the environmental research and outreach efforts of NC State students, staff, and faculty. North Carolina State University's 2007 event featured over 60 exhibitors, making it one of the larger Earth Day events in the Triangle area.