A Sense of Place
By Pallavi Shankar
What makes a good building? What makes a good place?
In determining the architecture for a
specific location that must meet many expectations and fulfill various goals
and purposes, there are a range of factors to be considered to ensure the
“success” of the place. But what
criteria can be used to determine this success?
Perhaps
a cost benefit analysis is appropriate for determining whether the input equal
or exceed the output. Or maybe the buildings must be given a test
to withstand a certain amount of pressure and weathering to pass. To meet and exceed all these expectations, in
the case of collegiate architecture, the final product must serve the people at
the university, including both the professors and the students. Because universities are established to teach
and provide discovery experiences, it is necessary to evaluate “what the place teaches.”[1] College campuses are a
fusion of many different people with the same goal: to learn more about some
aspect of life. With such an important
purpose to consider, it is vital that the surroundings of our university cater
to the students' needs, thoughts, and actions since “the places where we spend
our time affect the people we are and can become.”[2] When the surrounding environment can provide
a source of guidance and inspiration to the students, they will have the
ability to perform to their maximum potential. I propose a campus of diverse architecture, a mixture of the Spanish
Renaissance and Gothic styles, to create a majestic place unified by its
exquisite buildings but also retaining enough variety to allow each student to
find their niche here at the
In
establishing the best architecture for a college campus, it must be decided what
type of pattern, if any, the campus should follow. Because the
buildings come together to form a campus, it is necessary for them to have some
underlying themes to create unity. A
unified campus will allow students and professors attending the university to
“become vulnerable to a place” and feel “a sense of belonging, a sense of not
being isolated in the universe.”[3] This can be accomplished by distinguishing
the campus from other surrounding buildings, so as students walks from class to
class they receive verification that the UT campus is their own. Although a degree of unity is required, the
campus must serve two purposes: accommodate a diverse student body and faculty
and not become mundane, overly structured, or rigid. Thus, by appealing to two architectural
styles, the Spanish Renaissance and Gothic, a diverse collegiate architecture
can be constructed. At the same time the
extreme ornamental and intricate nature of the buildings creates an underlying
unity that separates the campus from the rest of the world. Because UT Austin
is a place of self discovery and exploration, students must be given the
opportunity to connect with a variety of styles and allow each to shape the
person they desire to be in some way.
Diversity promotes open- mindedness and wisdom from exposure to new
ideas and experiences while giving every individual a unique niche to identify
with.
[4]The best example of how part of the master plan
should be constructed can be seen in the Spanish Architecture at
[5]Rather than completely demolishing the entirety of
our current campus, we should preserve our celebrated Spanish buildings, most
notably Sutton Hall and Battle Hall. The
red roofs, intricate stonework, and arched windows of Sutton Hall draw on the
distinct characteristics of the Spanish Style.
Another beacon of beauty on campus, Battle Hall, is known for its
delicate ornamentation, “wide projecting eaves, ornate coffers with penules and
a terra-cotta frieze.”[6] In my master plan the Spanish Renaissance
style will be expanded to include many other buildings other than these two, to
create a rich atmosphere of historical yet fresh architecture.
To the right is a model of the ideal Spanish
building my master plan will include.
The building is distinguishable with its dark red rooftops contrasted
with the creamy white stone walls.
Immediately it is obvious that the building is characterized by symmetry
in all dimensions. The dark arches and
intricate workings draw attention to the tall windows that will bring ample
amount of light into the rooms. The
texture of the walls will be smooth and rich enhancing the simple elegance of
the Spanish style. [7]
Not only do the buildings on the Stanford campus
carry an air of elegant beauty, but additionally the well planned landscaping
enhances the beautiful design of the campus and unifies the different
buildings. Preserving the Texan terrain
allows students to develop a deep appreciation for nature as they come to live
and learn with it. The blending of
architecture and nature creates a unique atmosphere more conducive to learning,
exploring and discovering. Surrounded by
open areas of lush green grass, tall palm trees, and clear blue skies the
scenery immerses anyone on the Stanford campus into another world of serenity. Although 
Waller Creek will
“become the new central axis of the campus” and provide students with a source
of inspiration.[8] Not only does nature help students feel more
comfortable with the environment of the campus, but it allows the university to
pay homage to the distinctive terrain of
[9]To create the real “college” feeling on a campus,
along with a Spanish influence, the Gothic style is required. Although modernism may seem like the obvious
choice of style for a youthful atmosphere, this contemporary urban style
doesn’t seem appropriate for an academic environment conducive to
learning. Modernism lacks “mystery and
emotion” and is “a little too frank about the limits of human nature.”[10] Its inability to provoke curiosity and
interest doesn’t provide an
inspiration to students to utilize their creative minds to their
potential. On the contrary, the Gothic
style breeds an academic and scholarly quality largely due to the success and
prestige the colleges with Gothic architecture have exuded in the past, which
is necessary to foster an environment favorable to culture and education. The majestic nature of Classic Gothic
architecture includes “stone structures with great expanses of glass, pointed arches using the ogive shape, ribbed
vaults, clustered columns, sharply pointed spires, flying
buttresses and inventive sculptural
detail.”[11]
For ages the most prestigious institutions have followed a Gothic style
that makes learning at one of these institutions all the more
extraordinary. The Ivy League Schools
carry such an exalted reputation largely due to the long, respected tradition
the schools carry. This air of tradition
and history can only be captured by an older, more exotic style that inspires
students to carry the legacy of the great institution and pursue their passion
to learn. Because “our society expects
its colleges (and its architects) to be both guardians of traditions and
incubators of originality,” preserving the conventional collegiate Gothic style
is essential to maintaining standards of prestige and prominence associated
with higher education.[12] As a student I know I would enjoy walking to
class everyday among such dramatic buildings and feel a sense of pride and
pleasure knowing I attend such a prestigious institution.
To the right is the ideal Gothic building my master
plan will include. The building is
rectangular shaped, with pointed arches on either side on the entrance. The colors used are much darker than the
colors used in the Spanish building, providing contrast between the two styles
of buildings. The texture of the
building will be slightly coarse highlighting the rigid and grotesque nature of
the gothic style. Yet the variety in
color will avoid making the buildings become eerie and unapproachable.
The
The layout of buildings
on campus, whether to randomly disperse the buildings following no apparent
pattern or to align them in a particular shape,[13]must be
considered. To generate a sense of belonging it is necessary to
place the buildings in some sort of shape, not necessarily a simple circle or
square, but in some orderly manner to unify the campus. Rather than continuing with the current loose
border the campus has marked by distinctive streets such as Guadalupe and Dean
Keaton, the campus should have thick trees and tall gates that encompass the
buildings to create a sense of unity and belonging among the students.
More than just dots on a
map, well-designed buildings create a mood and atmosphere that coincides with
the desired purpose of the structures. In an environment with young and eager minds
the ideal atmosphere would be youthful, lively and tasteful so as to inspire
every student to reach greater heights.
This can be accomplished with the very elegant yet contemporary styles
of Spanish Renaissance and Gothic architecture to create an air of prestige and
respect among the campus. Rather than continuing
with the current urban mood that
In
appealing to the Spanish roots of
Word Count Without Quotes: 1841
Location in Second Life: Next to Amanda’s
Campus
List of Illustrations
1.
[http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f7/Stanford_campus_aerial_photo.jpg/300px-Stanford_campus_aerial_photo.jpg]
2.
Battle Hall,
[http://www.texasarchitect.org/shapeoftexas_detail.php?episode=v09t05&sess_id=013262f998d1349c73d78fe678d73625/jpg]
3.
The Quad,
[http://www.mccullagh.org/db9/950-22/stanford-quad-2.jpg]
4.
[http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:iROq0pAFXxjv3M:http://www.ageekstour.com/photos/StanfordUniversity/original/jpg]
5.
Memorial Hall,
[http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:xQCQauwKP2GFAM:http://www.sheldonbrown.org/journal/images/sanders640/jpg]