A
Connection to the Beginning
The
current master plan for University of Texas downplays the two attributes any
modern college should posses: The two objectives are focus on the future and a
respect for the past. In the quickly progressing society of the twenty-first
century, students at the University of Texas must learn to adapt to new
technology but must also develop a respect for the past. The Board of Regents
for the University of Texas must consider a new campus plan that will
incorporate elements that serve the needs of modern students; ÒThe BeginningsÓ
campus plan has the necessary components. Architecturally, ÒThe BeginningsÓ
master plan incorporates ancient Greek styles at the center, Greek Revival
architecture close to the core, and more modern design on the outskirts. This
layout enforces the universityÕs devotion to aiding each student to discover
his or her place in history. All of these buildings, historic and modern alike,
include intimate design components which encourage students to develop a
self-identity while serving as part of a community. Using native timbers and
local rocks and minerals as building materials suggests the significant role of
nature; also concerning nature, the mŽlange of environment-friendly elements
such as solar panels teaches the vital responsibility for humanity to preserve nature.
Overall, the use of classical architectural styles incorporating environment-friendly
features and intimate common areas at the University of Texas in Austin teach
the importance of the world, knowledge, and self.
The
roughly concentric layout of the ÒThe BeginningsÓ campus plan emphasizes the
idea that a solid though flexible collection of core values allows for personal
growth. A central plaza with ancient Greek architecture serves as a significant
reminder of the roots of Western culture while providing a great location for
administrative offices as well as the student union. The proximity of the hub
of student activity – the student union – to the administrative
offices provides for a closer relationship between students and decision
makers, creating a more unified campus. This propinquity also symbolizes the
need of a governing body as well as recreational activities. Below are several
pictures of ancient Greek design. The student union includes as an outdoor
plaza with strong ancient Greek influence similar to the illustration on the
right.
An example of Greek
architecture.[1] Central campus
in SecondLife[2]
Surrounding this
plaza stand four buildings: the astronomy building in the northwest corner, the
philosophy building in the northeast corner, the music building in the
southeast corner, and the mathematics building in the southwest corner. These departments
mirror the focuses of ancient Greek education[3]
while connecting the other eight main colleges of the University of Texas to
the innermost quadrilateral. In this campus plan, the main colleges of the
University are arranged in four quadrangles consisting of buildings of Greek
revival architecture. The astronomy building heads a quadrangle including the
College of Natural Sciences and the Nursing and Pre-Medicine departments; the
philosophy building heads a quadrangle including the College of Business and
the College of Communications; the music building heads the quadrangle
An example of Greek Revival Architecture[4]
An example of Greek Revival Architecture[5]
the
College of Fine Arts and the College of Liberal Arts; finally, the mathematics
building heads the quadrangle including the College of Engineering and the
College of Architecture. Above are
several examples of Greek Revival
architecture. The first two photographs show buildings in existence that follow
the Greek Revival style. The bottom-most picture shows a possible academic
building, contrasting the Greek Revival style with the
A SecondLife of Greek Revival architecture[6]
ancient Greek style. In
ÒThe BeginningsÓ campus plan, modern architecture will also stand alongside
Greek Revival architecture. Here are two examples of modern architecture showing
the use of glass to reflect nature.
An example of more
modern design[7] An
example of more modern design[8]
This layout
reminds each student of the roots of western education in Greek culture, thus
conveying the including interconnectedness of the world both geographically and
through time. The general transition of the architecture from ancient to modern
allows a unique architectural pattern that preserves
the comfort of students by avoiding bizarre academic buildings and encourages
creativity by juxtaposing ancient and modern architecture, thus encouraging
comparisons of ancient and modern thinking.
Apart from the lessons learned from architectural
style and physical layout, ÒThe BeginningsÓ campus plan for the University of
Texas uses environment-friendly features and local building materials; this
teaches those who frequent the campus the importance of the environment and
nature in Texas. The sunny, warm climate of Austin makes it an ideal place for
the use of solar energy;[9]
thus each building should have a maximum number of solar panels fitted to the
roof. The sloping roofs of the Greek Revival style prove perfect for the use of
solar panels. This is one of many ways the campus can be environmentally
friendly. Public restrooms must conserve
water; lit areas must conserve energy through the use of
timers and motion detector lights; copying centers must have easy access to
recycled materials and recycling facilities. Beyond buildings themselves, ÒThe
BeginningsÓ campus plan provides
"The Beginnings" campus
map[10] for
electric buses and rewards students who drive sparingly. These protections
serve to teach the importance of maintaining the environment; the use of local
building materials emphasizes the importance of nature on the University of
Texas campus.
A
solar cell[11]
An energy efficient light bulb[12]
A water-conserving toilet[13]
Under this plan, construction
materials primarily include EdwardÕs Aquifer limestone, the Òpearl greyÓ
granite from Central TexasÕs Oatman Creek, or the pink Llano county granite.[14]
The timbers used to construct the buildings are all trees native to Texas:
Cedar and pecan trees both provide hard wood suitable for construction.[15]
Any bricks used are made from local clays. These building materials and nature-friendly
regulations combine to place a great weight on the environment that many modern
students will admire.
The
currently popular emphasis on nature as part of education, or at the least, as
part of what the place teaches, conflicts with the Greek view of nature as
something to be improved upon: ÒIn the first place, Greeks seldom think of
ÔnatureÕ as a teacher, or of the school as doing in a specific way what
experience, left to itself, already does in a generic wayÉAs a technical art,
education represents, not nature, but a human improvement upon nature.Ó[16]
Thus, in order to maintain the focus on classic education and its roots, the
natural elements must be included in subtle ways, such as the environmentally
friendly attributes and careful use of building materials.
As
the architectural styles teach the importance of history and the respect for
the local environment teaches the importance of the physical world, so the
specific design elements teach the importance of the individual in the
community. These elements include the simple yet decorated and commodious
interiors of buildings, the careful inclusion of niches, the location of
dormitories, and finally the campus-encompassing exercise path. According to
Arthur Goldberg, former United StatesÕ Secretary of Labor, Supreme Court
Justice, and ambassador to the United Nations, ÒThe greatest value of an
education is a strong sense of curiosity.Ó[17]
The details discussed here serve as
Fountain[18]
catalysts for studentsÕ
curiosity: An inviting book on a book shelf, an empty wingback chair beside
another student, a cool, trickling fountain like the one pictured above in a
small courtyard all entice a student to explore his or her curiosity in an
accommodating setting. When a student picks up the book or starts a conversation
or simply sits and absorbs nature on a nice day, he or she is experiencing
something greater than school-taught knowledge: He or she is developing a sense
of curiosity. The fountain pictured on the previous page serves as a unifying
agent in the center of the university. It ties nature into history, reminding
those who pass it that the same water we drink today was existent in the times
of Romans and Greeks. This commonality reminds the campus of that human nature
transcends time. The interior of each building should
be an area of solace for students and professors, an environment where students
feel accepted and open to new ideas. Specifically, benches and chairs
line walls that are 
A comfortable interior[19]
Another interior[20]
painted shades of color rather than
whites and off-whites. Bookcases are fitted into corners, crown molding
connects wood-paneled walls to plain or ornamented ceilings, and heavy
chandeliers hang in common areas in the academic buildings. Opulent supplements
such as these serve to give the university a prestige unsurpassed by other
public schools. Most importantly, the detail and
comfort of the interior should either match or surpass that of the exterior. This
concept, embodied in the buildings, serves as a model for the students
themselves who must develop a polished initial impression but, more
importantly, must maintain an engaging personality. Since the insides of the
buildings serve as an area where professors and students can casually
intermingle, the exteriors of the buildings must provide a sense of privacy
without destroying the sense of community. Students must have a place where
they can go to study, to think, and to interact with close groups 
of
friends.
The inclusion of
niches and small courtyards accomplishes this sense of privacy in the otherwise
public setting of a campus. The image to the right of the text shows a more
private seating area ideal on ÒThe BeginningsÓ campus. Areas like these exist
on
the current campus, but are poorly
maintained or uninviting. ÒThe BeginningsÓ plan requires that these areas be
more numerous and pristine. Like the photo shows, benches in courtyards conjure
an inviting atmosphere. In ÒThe
An outdoor seating area[21]
BeginningsÓ plan, there would also be landscaping to create a more natural
environment. Additionally, these
details enable students to develop their own worlds, a strategy necessary to
the modern man. According to J. Hillis Miller: ÒThe new type of man is the
romantic artist, the man who in the absence of a given world must create his
own.Ó[22]
These design elements serve to create an academic yet individualistic
atmosphere, teaching the importance of self-identity.
A sense of
community must nevertheless coincide with this academic, individualistic
atmosphere. The quadrangles begin to develop this community; however, placing
dorms in the top stories of each departmental building extends this concept.
The dorms thus serve to create a sense of identity in each student both with
his or her subject and his or her peers in that area. Similar to the George
Washington University campus where dorms sit atop an academic building and
students participate in ÒcohortsÓ based on academic interests,[23]
the University of Texas ÒThe BeginningsÓ campus plan provides housing for
students of a particular major or set of majors in the top stories of academic
buildings. This leads to the development of casual relationships
among students with common interests, which often results in a greater level of
focus. Thus, a sense of unity and cohesiveness unifies the students.
The final element,
though a minor detail, serves to unite the campus as a whole, incorporates two
Greek ideas, and gently separates the campus from the city of Austin. This
element is a walking path. A simple walking path encircling campus will better
define the perimeter where the University of Texas meets Austin, creating a
more definite sense of place and a certain locale where students feel more open
to learning rather than divided between the concerns of the city and their
studies. The track also serves as a reminder of the Greek ideal of the perfect
body, encouraging physical fitness. Another idea this track evokes reminiscent
of Greece is the idea of Òmovements to and fro or
from place toÓ – a definition of the word Òperipatetic.Ó[24]
This term referred to Aristotle who walked about often when teaching. The idea
of a walking path was part of an early plan for the university: ÒIt [the campus
walk] was an ideal place for dates and served as a meeting place for friends.
In 1913, the businessmen of Austin raised money to pave the walk. É but its
identity was almost lost as numerous other campus walks were built.Ó[25]
This final touch adds a feeling of unity and completion to the University of
Texas, ensuring the UniversityÕs identity in conjunction with that of the city
of Austin.
The three main
objectives of ÒThe BeginningsÓ campus plan – to teach the importance of
the world, of knowledge, and of self-identity – are thus fulfilled.
Varied aspects of the campus, ranging from building materials to architectural
styles, from environmentally friendly energy sources to intellectually friendly
nooks, and from community centered quads to the historically centered layout,
combine to make this plan the most fitting for the University of Texas.
Word Count: 1981
Words Cut: 113
Website: http://dancingfrogs13.googlepages.com/aconnectiontothebeginning
SecondLife Location: Behind the
Tower, in a Greek plaza, you can find my Thincbook.