Learning Resources

Abstract: Book Review: Modernism at Mid-Century: The Architecture of the U.S. Air force Academy, edited by robert Bruegmann. University of Chicago press, 1995. 200 pages. ISBN 02326-07693-8

Abstract: How colleges can design buildings to foster collegiality and productivity. Subtitles: The four promoters of talk; Moving people on campus. Pull quotes: "Planners should demand that architecture pay attention to the enhancement of exchanges and visits." "Magnets are important to draw faculty out of their offices." "Atriums have become popular linking floor levels." "Campus architecture should be grounded in the research on behavior."

Abstract: While historic preservation of campus architecture has become widely supported within the last generation, it has at the same time become more complicated. Ehrenkrantz and Eckstut have suggested a three part planning strategy. Part one: planners should gather basic informationon each campus building. Next each part of the building should be rated for preservation. 1 might mean a detail or space of great importance which should be carefully restored, while 5 might be an unimportant space which should be modernized to suit current needs. Part two: A phased plan should be develop which spans the next decade with proirities established and a clear sequence including cost estimates. Flexibility should be built into renovations and new construction as anticipation of further renovation. Part three: The next step is to identify athe means and methods weighing such as availability of materials and suitablility of today's program. If a preservation campaign is well planned it can be done well at the same cost of even under the cost of new construction, and will demonstrate the respect for history and culture embodied in the institution.

Abstract: Book Review: Campus Planning and Facility Development: A Selected Bibliography, by Ira Fink and Nicole Fardet. Ira Fink & Associates (Berkley, CA.), 1992. 64 pages.

Abstract: American campus design over the last 40 years has experienced an evolution in which each decade is dominated by themes that reflect the social change of the time. From the postwar period through the late 1950s, unprecedented pressures brought on by massive federal spending were met with unprecedented solutions offered by modernism. During the 1960s, new space needs required tremendous change in scale, resulting in overwhelming "Brutalist" concrete architecture. During this time, entirely new institutions provided numerous new prototypes. During the 1970s, campus unrest, the environmental movement, and demand for community participation caused a crisis in facilities planning. Responses typically involved partnerships to develop land with outside parties as a source of revenue while insuring the quality of the larger immediate environment. With declining student populations in the 1980s, emphasis was not on growth but on improving the campus environment to stay competitive. This need was answered by postmodernism and its resumption of "stagecraft" in campus design. The 1990s can been seen as a continuation of this, yet financial austerity and swiftly changing technology suggested that greater flexibility be built into new facilities. Thoughout these changes, the campus remains a place where "intellectual inquiry, socialization, and day-to-day living" exist in a "finite, integrated setting," which modifies itself to the needs of each successive generation.

Abstract: Book Review: Toward MOre Efficient Building Methods for Academic Science Facilities, by higher Education Colloquium on Sicence Facilities' Task Force on Academic Facilities Costs. Association of American Universities, 1993. 52 pages. LC 93-77023.

Abstract: Book Review: Looking Around: A Journey Through Architecture, by Witold Rybczynski. Viking, 1992. 301 pages. ISBN 0-670-84421-7.

Abstract: Book Review: Office Access, by The Understanding Business. Harper Collins, 1992. 94 pages. ISBN 006-277-061-6.

Abstract: Book review: Joint Venture Partnerships: A Scarce Funds Approach to Aquiring and Operating New facilites at State College and Universities, by Houston Elam. American Association of State College and Universities (AASCU), 1992. 66 pages.