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Archive for March, 2010
Big Enough?
Big universities have large campuses. And their capital delivery process is generally supported by a correspondingly large facilities staff. In fact, all things associated with the capital delivery on a large campus tend to be big and onerous. But that’s not all bad – they need processes and procedures to keep track (and report the legalities) of their dealings. While it may not always be pleasant, designing a building on a large campus, and getting it built, is always interesting.
But RATIO’s recent experiences working on smaller campuses (Millikin University and Indiana State University) are making me appreciate the meaning of “scale” at institutions of higher learning. Bigger doesn’t necessarily transfer into better, and smaller has its challenges as well. The void that a small school’s staff creates, in relation to those of a larger institution, means that not only what you do is different, but how you do it. The tasks involved in delivering a design for a small institution are markedly different from those required by a larger institution, for the same project.
The Package is the Product
Recently the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) sponsored a fascinating webcast about campus design called Campus Landscaping; Impact on Recruitment and Retention. The session was presented by Phil Waite, a professor of landscape architecture with Washington State University. Waite has spent a considerable amount of time researching what effects the appearance and design of campus landscapes has on the recruitment of students and faculty.
Go Googie or Go Home
What do the famous Las Vegas sign, the cartoon Jetsons family, Seattle’s space needle and Disney’s Pixar movie “Cars” have in common? They’re all examples of Googie architecture.
Photo Credit: http://en.wikivisual.com/index.php/Las_Vegas_Monorail
House Obsessions Part II
Mara loaned me Wallpapers for Historic Buildings by Richard C. Nylander and it is very informative. She also loaned me the Fall 2009 copy of the Rejuvenation catalogue. Thanks, Mara! (Or should I say, thanks a lot, Mara. As in, sarcastically, thanks a lot for making me want to spend more mula.)
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