Main Library, Foreign Language, Smith Hall, Institute for Genomic Biology

                Today we discussed 4 interesting, but very different buildings: the Main Library, Smith Hall, the Foreign Language Building, and the Institute for Genomic Biology. We discussed different aspects at each building that I had never noticed or thought of before.

                We started our tour at the Main Library. Now we have discussed the Main library as a piece to the very symmetric puzzle we call our campus, but we hadn’t been inside to discuss the building individually yet. While the building is very open in the entrance and has a very grand appearance, I think the best part of the building is definitely The Stacks. Today was the first time I toured The Stacks, and they sure didn’t disappoint. One very interested aspect is how the shelves actually serve as support for the building as well. Just above one “level” is the mezzanine that is made up completely of concrete blocks that sit basically on top of the bookshelves of the level below. While I didn’t see any books of interest to me this trip, the structure definitely made up for it. Another interesting design deals with the mobile shelves. Although if I want to use those in the future, I best figure out exactly how they work.

                The next stop was the Foreign Language Building. This building is definitely one sticks out from the rest of the buildings due to its design, but blends in with the rest due to its color and location. The first time I noticed it, I saw an inverted pyramid type structure and was very intrigued by it. Today we discussed how the building may serve as a compliment to the Tower of Babel, which was built in an effort to reach God. This building, however, seems to be asking God into the studies of Foreign Language. While the building has a bunch of wasted space, the open void that is light up constantly by sunlight again emphasizes this attempt to bring God into the space. Professor Hinders explanation, while it may not be the exact reasoning, definitely made sense and offered a new light on the building.

                After the Foreign Language Building, we walked to the entrance of Smith Hall. This entrance is located away from the Quad for various reasons. To begin with, the concert hall in oriented so that the stage is on the Quad side and the seats are on the public side, offering this sense of student performing for the public. The entrance then magnifies this as you enter directly into this concert hall. Also, the entrance would be overshadowed by another building if it was place anywhere else. As we walked up the stairs, the columns and doorways served almost as the opposite of a telescope by eventually making the many varieties and differences of the public seem to be one body through music.

                Our last stop was a building that I had always noticed by the ugly “chewing gum” statues that sit out front of the building, the IGB. This building definitely has a different design, but it was built in a way to help preserve the Morrow Plots. A stipulation of the design of the IGB was that it could not throw any shade on the Morrow Plots. The IGB fits this stipulation by have the main part of the building set back away from the plots, and the rest of the building underground. The main pavilion which sits off the side of the entrance was an interesting aspect. As your coming from the Quad, this pavilion welcomes you, however from the South, there is no such “welcome.” Another interesting aspect was how useless a lot of the building was. For example, the lounge area on the first floor that we sat in to discuss the building was there for no apparent reason.

                This trip covered many different topics and many different buildings. However, afterwards I felt like I understood many different building of campus that I had before simply ignored. 

Center for Wounded Veterans

                Today we visited the construction site on 906 W. Nevada St. What is soon to be the campus Center for Wounded Veterans is now just a crowded mess of sweaty men, wet paint, and construction tools that look dangerous.

                The first leg of our tour started in the basement where we can find all of the mechanical systems. While this is probably the part of the building with the most going on right now, it really wasn’t too interesting when you don’t know what’s going on in the different pipes. But it was cool to see how much planning goes behind the accessibility of each system and how to use the space that you have.

                As we moved up one level, we saw the main lobby/lounge space that will be available both for residents and the people who are just in the building temporarily. One of the major aspects of the design on this floor is the wall of windows where the lounge area is. One of the things most veterans want when they get back from war is to be able to see everything around them. They typically sit in the corner so everything is in front of them and nothing will sneak up on them. The purpose of this design is to help them become more comfortable with their surroundings and be able to not limit themselves to the corners of every room they are in.

                The second floor is home to some of the class rooms and PT rooms.  All of the residents will have access to physical therapy at this center. This floor was pretty bare at this time phase of the construction, but we did see that some of the mechanical systems will lie above the drop down ceiling of this floor. Another interesting aspect of design is that the original plan may not always be the plan used in the end. This was very evident in the first floor public bathrooms. While the original plans call for a hard ceiling, they have seen that they will have to have multiple access panels located at various areas of the ceiling to be able to reach the different mechanical things that need to be checked often. However, this is a lot of access panels, so one proposed change is to make this ceiling a drop down ceiling for easier access.

                The third floor is where the full-time residents will be housed. Each will have their own personal room that will have its own electric mobilization system to help the residents move around their dorm. The hope is that these rooms will help residents have easier access to their classes and be able to connect with other veterans on campus to help make their own burden lighter.

                It we very interesting to see a building currently under construction and hear about the many details, small or large, that go into the design process.

Mt. Hope Cemetery

                Today we visited Mt. Hope cemetery. While in the beginning, I was very unsure of what I could really learn architecturally from a cemetery, by the end I had a much greater appreciation for cemeteries and what they really mean to a community.

                We started our tour at the Mausoleum that sits at the entrance into the cemetery. While I have never seen a collection of above ground graves, the idea of above ground burial is very interesting. Here you can start to see stories of the many lives that have passed. Of course it is very common to see man and wife buried together, but being buried with you parents isn’t quite as common. At this Mausoleum, families have already reserved spots for husband/wife/kids to be laid to rest next to the rest of their family.

                As we started the actual tour of the cemetery, we came immediately upon a group of Jewish graves, signified by the rocks on the gravestone. Coming from a small town community, I have not seen many burial traditions other than basic flowers around the grave. This tour definitely opened my eyes to what exactly a cemetery has to offer to the community it represents. It must be able to accommodate as many requests as possible while still respecting the other religious beliefs and family traditions.

                Another major part of the cemetery is the collection of veterans who have either died in battle, or served and then died after returning home. The stories are very vivid here as you can tell from their tombstone what part of the military they served and whether or not they died in combat. While their gravestones may not be the biggest in the cemetery, their service and bravery definitely does not go unnoticed.

                Lastly as you continue to walk around, you see the big names of the community and university. Buried in line with the 50-yard line are the men who have had gigantic influences within the athletic programs of the university like Huff and Zuppke. While I don’t recognize the other names in the community, it was interesting to try and read the different stories that lay within the few words on a tombstone.

                All in all, I definitely didn’t realize the significance of cemeteries and how important they truly are to the communities they serve until I walked around and saw the many stories and traditions that families help to save and cherish through the grave sites of their loved ones.