The Center of the Universe

Philo, Illinois. Before today I had never heard of it. But I'm actually quite glad that I know what it is, where it is, and some of its built environment. 

We got to go in the big turtle shell van (WHOOT WHOOT) and road tripped on over to Philo. It's actually not too far…just about a fifteen minute drive. On the way over we got to see (or miss all of them, if you were me) a bunch of grain elevators, which as I understand it, were essentially the center of a given community of farmers so they could sell their grain. Philo was no exception. There was one just off the main intersection in the downtown area, amongst a bank, a couple bars, town hall, the water tower, and the post office. It seemed like a great example of what I picture small town America to be.

We got to drive around town for a little bit as well. We started with the graveyard on the other side of 130…Professor Hinders noted that almost all of the tombstones were facing Philo, as if the city of living and the city of dead were mimicking one another. As we kept going, we saw that, similar to many small towns, all of the streets are named after presidents. I mean ALL of them. Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Harrison, Benjamin…all of them. Anyway, we drove by the Catholic school and church just a few blocks down. Professor Hinders explained that he asked a local what the probable percentage of catholics in Philo was, and he said it was most likely 50%. This might be because when the Germans settled here because they knew how to drain the marshy land, most of them were catholic and that has stayed demographically significant until today. 

There is even something like a miniature suburb right next to Philo - I guess it is still in the city limits - that is much newer looking. Although most of the original or older houses in the town are nicer the closer they are to the center or downtown area, this new subdivision is a favorite for University of Illinois instructors. As Professor Hinders explained it, Philo is sort of like a "bedroom community" for Champaign-Urbana, just like St. Joseph-Ogden or Savoy. I guess it's no coincidence that this many people are living in these smaller communities when Professor Hinders told me on the way back that most instructors from the University cannot afford to live in the homes like the ones we passed in Urbana on the way home. They were small, but actually pretty nice. I'm sure it would be less expensive to live in Savoy or Philo.

Finally, we ended our trip with a stop at the local watering hole. That's right, the good 'ol Philo Tavern. Professor Hinders graciously bought us some nice, alcohol-free beverages and a few snacks. It was a great way to end a long day by telling stories and relaxing together, much like people in small towns do quite often, I'm sure. 

The ED Building…and KAM.

We recently got to visit the Education Building. It was nice…I had actually never been in there before. To be honest, I had always sort of judged it as an ugly building constructed in the 60s or 70s that I would probably never have to go inside. Well, I was wrong about never having to go into it. BUT it also isn't such a bad building after all. Aside from part of the exterior not being beautiful in my eyes, it has quite a bit to offer campus in terms of its addition to the built environment.
I really liked that it has two small lobby areas on each side of the building. It made it welcoming for those who wanted to learn and served as a gathering area. However, the north entrance did not exactly line up with the gap between Wohlers Hall and the Architecture Building. This may have been unintentional, but it was fairly noticeable once someone arrives inside the building. Similarly, the south entrance is not identical to the north entrance. There is only one door, but as Professor Hinders explained, it was seen as a less significant entrance.
Once we hit the basement, things started to get a little more interesting. The basement is actually significantly larger than the first floor. It fans out underneath the grassy area and enclosed terrace area to the west. To me, it represented how knowledge has deep roots that we may not see. Anyway, my favorite part of the building was the outer terrace. Just outside the west entrance is an uneven grassy knoll area, with trees and plants. It seemed like a good area to study, and although was poised next to a less than beautiful building structure, gave a nice touch to the feeling of community. The top floor was actually very cool as well. We got to see how the mechanical systems were aided a bit with vents in the doors and on the windows near the ceilings. Until there was central air conditioning, this helped to ventilate the building. The balconies off the offices were also very cool….although I am sure it does not meet building standards.
We also got the chance to walk over to the Krannert Art Museum, which is much nicer than I had realized. Although we were not able to go in the east entrance, we saw the Lorado Taft sculptures in the entryway. It was a nice tribute to an artist with a lot of influence here in Champaign. Once we went in the correct way, we locked up our bags and got to explore freely. I am pretty conservative, so most of the art was kind of….modern for my taste. There were some very interesting plans for levies and ways to prevent flooding near rivers. Other exhibits made use of everyday materials, three dimensional concepts, and there was even a (mildly) interact exhibit where you pull a handle connected to a pulley system. What this trip made me realize was that Champaign-Urbana is actually quite a diverse campus, not only in terms of people but in terms of atmosphere and surroundings. Between the FLB and Foellinger, Lincoln and Krannert, there is a lot this place has to offer. And that's a pretty cool thing.

The Stacks/FLB/Smith

Last Thursday was a good day. We got to enjoy the nice weather around campus and see not one, not two, but THREE amazing work of architecture, all headed by our renowned professor Mr. Hinders. Amazing. We got to start at the Graduate library, where I was able to see the stacks for the first time in my life. Let me tell you, it was quite an experience.
The stacks are carefully guarded by a pair of students and a couple older librarians. You must have your iCard to check in, and no bags are allowed it. This is supposedly to prevent theft of the valuable and ancient materials that lie just beyond the corridor. Inside we were able to see remnants of what the stacks used to look like, which had cast iron shelves. These actually doubled at the supports of the actual structure of the building. Pretty amazing. But if you go farther in, they are just regular metal shelves that are controlled by an automatic moving system so that more books can be fit into a smaller space. However, the mechanical system seemed to not be fully functional when Professor Hinders tried to use it. The space had low ceilings, and was probably seemingly more cramped than it was due to the fact that I knew how much information was actually stored there.
The Foreign Language Building was quite different, and served a much different purpose than the Main Library. First off, the FLB is quite ugly in my opinion. As Professor Hinders described it, it looks like an upside-down ziggurat. He theorized that the architect wanted to symbolize a reversal of the Tower of Babel, as was in the Bible. So instead of trying to reach up to God, the upside-down pyramid shape allowed for more light to come in from the large windows at the top to shine below on us, in essence, letting God in to give us more knowledge. What a good story. Even disregarding the biblical reference, the inverted shape makes it feel as though the entirety of knowledge of the world is coming in to a small space so we can learn from other cultures. But really, the building is just not pleasant to look at. But, at least I pulled some symbolism out of it.
Finally, we hit Smith hall. Another music building. That is where I auditioned for the Varsity Men's Glee Club senior year. The building is very romantic feeling once you walk inside. But there is much more to it than just walking inside. First, you pass through columns. Then you pass into a small entryway. Then, you are in a much larger hall with the main concert hall just ahead of you, yet you are still separated from it by another passageway. It made it seem like quite a process to get into the place where the arts were being performed or held. I thought it was an interesting choice of architectural environment.

Center for Wounded Veterans

I was really glad we were able to get a tour of the in-progress Center for Wounded Veterans over on Nevada. Although the project has a few months before it will be finished, I could see how excited the construction manager and associate Dean from the College of Applied Health Sciences were about the project and how it is going to affect those who use the facilities and campus itself.
This may have been the first time I actually took an in-depth tour of a building yet to be completed. It seemed a bit naked, yet I could see how it was coming together and it actually made me really proud to be a part of this campus. We started in the basement, which to be honest, was the least interesting part of the tour. We could see the elevator shafts being put in and all the mechanical systems being installed. (It was nice that we actually got to see the mechanical systems this time!) After that, we headed back to the first floor and saw the main communal living spaces that the veterans will get to utilize. There was a rough space that I would call a living room, with a flanking space that has a kitchen area. What I really liked about the space was how open it was--there were windows on all sides so nearly everything could be seen. The Dean from AHS talked about how a lot of the veterans have a problem retiring home and sitting somewhere where they cannot see all their surrounds, and they like to sit up against walls. I can see how hard it would be to change this behavior coming home. I hope that this aspect of the building helps the veterans adjust accordingly.
The upstairs was fairly barren as well, but showed some staff rooms for physical therapy and housing for some fourteen veterans themselves. Although the rooms were small, I feel as though the veterans will be very grateful for the opportunity to live on campus in a great learning environment.
The greatest thing that I got out of the tour was the choice of location of the veterans center. The Dean told us that the Nevada location was chosen over ten other locations that the university offered to AHS. They thought it was the best location in terms of closeness to the center of campus. They wanted the veterans to feel at home being on campus, and did not want to isolate them. That is why I think this is such a noble project.

The Cemetary

When Professor Hinders first told us that we would be doing a tour of the cemetery, I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little surprised. But once we got there, I was able to see how even a cemetery is a good example of a built environment. Not only how the cemetery is set up, but the structures that make up the cemetery itself form an environment that represents familial ties and memoriam of those who have passed away.
We first went through the chapel and indoor mausoleum, entitled the Mount Hope Chapel. Professor Hinders noted that some students find the indoor mausoleum a bit too intense and uncomfortable. It was interesting to think that just behind a few wall plates were several bodies of family members and strangers right next to one another. However, the environment inside the chapel and mausoleum seemed very respectful and was even a bit of a contrast from the outside, where most of the people laid to rest.
The cemetery is positioned perfectly between Champaign and Urbana, and originally a provision held that there would be a large street that would cut through the middle of the cemetery so as not to interrupt the conversation between Kirby, where much of the athletics of the school are held, and the main part of the campus. However, it was probably realized that this would be quite disrespectful, and the school ceded back the land. This is why it takes me so long to get to basketball games every year.
The land that it is built on is fairly hilly. This has led to a number of problems, with the freezing and thawing that our land is accustomed to, such as tombstones and memorials falling over. It really bothers me that these have remained in disrepair…I could not even try to count how many fallen tombstones I saw during the short hour-and-a-half tour we took.
There were also several symbolic things I must make note of. Many of the athletic greats in Illinois history were on the far west side of the cemetery, lined up very closely with 50-yard line. Robert Zuppke and George Huff made this list, along with Dwight Eddleman, as his tombstone reads, "Illinois' greatest all-around athlete."
Finally, we saw the resting place of a man named Atkins, who was one of the wealthiest men in Champaign. It was interesting that he had such a large obelisk, and he even had a square area marked out around where his family members will probably be laid to rest as well, despite the fact that he was the first to leave this earth.

Campustown

Our Journey to begin walking and talking about campus town started at Temple Hoyne, as we moved to Wright Street and ventured up to Green. Looking down Green, I saw the long stretch that we consider "campustown." To be honest, I had never really thought of the Green Street and close surrounding area as Campustown, but I'm glad I got that cleared up.
A lot of people complain about the condition of campus town. Aside from the obvious trash laying around and general grime that comes along with a downtown style area, there are quite a few aesthetic and functional problems with the area specifically. Some have been fixed. Some have not. Hopefully the remaining ones will be better for future Illini, as it is a misrepresentation (in my opinion) of what campus should be and gives it a bad name.
The first thing we talked about was how a lot of the campus town area has been planned to be restructured and rebuilt. A few students and a professor years ago came up with a revitalization plan for the fronts of the buildings and the streets themselves. In recent years since I've been here there was even a plan to make Green Street a pedestrian-only mall. Obviously that didn't pan out. BUT the corner of Green and Wright, as Professor Hinders told us, is considered by most to be the best representation of what campus town should be. As you move further down, past fourth street, Green Street feels a lot more spread out and less condensed, and less like a city or downtown.
I hope that in the future more businesses or apartments fill the space to make the entirety of Green feel like the block from Wright to Sixth or Fifth. It is clear that a lot of new things are going up, like the apartments across the street from 309.
I guess I shouldn't be totally negative about Campustown, as we actually did talk about some things that are gone that used to be there. Papa D's (my favorite campus town late-night eatery) used to be a drive-through bank. As Professor Hinders told us, that caused a lot of problems with traffic and pedestrian safety with the cars trying to move in and out. 309 (nicknamed the "whopper" back in the day) used to be a Burger King with a drive-through. It had similar problems. Luckily those are gone.
The one thing I would love to see improved is the boneyard creek area. There is a great opportunity for a nice walkway or path going between Green and Healey, and I think it would add a nice tough to campus town. Thus far, it really only runs from Wright to Sixth/Fifith area. That would be a great improvement for campus if it were to change.

Downtown Champaign (West Urbana??)

As the title suggests, the first thing I learned today was that Champaign used to be called "West Urbana." I'm glad they changed the name.
What I did not realize was that Urbana was settled first, and that many of the people who founded it were from Urbana, Ohio. This makes sense. When people wanted to spread out from Urbana, they moved west and of course named the city impulsively "West Urbana." Most of the buildings were built away from the border of Urbana and West Urbana so that the factories and buildings were not upwind of the more residential areas. We talked about this as we crossed Park Street (the most common street name in America) downtown and moving towards Virginia Theater and the Park.
One thing that stuck out to me in the beginning was the idea of axes again. This was sort of a throwback to the first class we ever had. The streets are sort of cockeyed downtown right by the transit station. One street goes to (symbolically) Washington D.C., which sort of creates a pie shape with the other streets it intersects, notably the City Hall.
My favorite part of the tour overall was when we talked about the park and its surroundings. This was West Side park, not too far from downtown and pretty large in my opinion. Professor Hinders said that it was and is the main park in town. Not too far away (just across the street in fact) is one of the local high schools. And, coincidentally enough, there is a Methodist, Presbyterian, and Catholic Church on any given side of the park. What does this all have to do with anything? Americana was a sort of cultural ideal that was present in a lot of small towns. At one time Champaign may have fit into this category, where people did not separate three aspects of their life (cultivation of the body, mind, and spirit). So, you could get exercise, learn, and save your soul all in the same area. I found this extremely interesting, and even relatable to my life on a smaller scale. My school had a large playground and church all in the same vicinity, as is common in parochial league schools.
The biggest thing I took away from this trip was the overall idea of interpreting why things are the way they are. Often times I walk around places without really thinking about why things are there and not just the fact that they are. After all, I think that is the point of the course.

Architecture Expo!

By the time this class was over, I was rethinking my major. Not totally, but a little bit. The Architecture Expo, in comparison to the Business Career Fairs (which comprise four days of pure fury for me each year), was a great deal of fun. It was much smaller, and I felt much less like I was wasting people's time if I was not a shoe-in for their position or I was not actually interested in their firm or company. In fact, I was not really serious about any of the companies I spoke with. Professor Hinders had us interview firms so that we could see what the architecture business was like. I was fortunate enough to talk to two very different firms, one being Farnsworth, and the other be Klein and Hoffman.
I spoke with Klein and Hoffman first. It was sort of my ice breaker and way to get a feel for how my second conversation would go. As I found out, they were not the average architectural firm. They did not simply design buildings. In fact, they were almost purely a restoration firm. They, as they told me, "fix the mistakes that previous architects have already made." They are not a huge firm, although they do a considerable amount of work in Chicago, where they are based. They do projects ranging from the John Hancock Building to smaller apartment buildings. They fix columns, stucco, and essentially anything structural that could be wrong with a building. Both people I spoke with for K & H had graduate degrees in restoration after completing architecture in their undergraduate colleges, which makes sense.
On the other hand, Farnsworth was a much more traditional architectural firm in some senses. One reason I decided to talk to them, however, was that they had an advertisement for LEED certification on their poster board. They have a number of architects who can garnish a building with qualities to taylor your needs for LEED, although they do not do it exclusively. Scott, the gentleman I spoke with, was an Illinois alum and former student of Professor Hinders. How nice.
Overall, it was a great experience for me. I am considering the architecture minor because of it, and I hope I can gain more knowledge about the subjects in the future if I decide to do that. It could be a great supplement to my Finance degree and really help me get into the area I desire.

The Place That I am Actually Familiar with (BIF)

We finally went to the BIF. Yes, a business major's safe haven. The Business Instructional Facility. Aside from the modern exterior and slew of business majors studying in their respective groups and business frats in the atrium, there is a lot that we got to discuss about the building itself, LEED certification, and sustainability. Professor Hinders spoke a lot about sustainability. Many aspects of the BIF have tried to accomplish the idea of proper utilization of resources, whether it be saving energy, using products from close by, or otherwise.
For one, the BIF has a concrete base. This means that sunlight that heats up the ground also heats up this huge base of concrete, and diffuses through the wooden floor in the atrium to save energy on heat. On the flip side, this makes the building very hot in the summer. To counteract this, the roof was built strategically at such a position to block out the sun during the summer months. There are also deployable shades that come down over the south facing windows to prevent too much heat.
A critique that Professor Hinders had about the building (which, according to him, is part of his job) was the solar panels on the roof of the Deloitte Auditorium. I cannot remember their specific type, but Professor Hinders told us they are not the most efficient type of panels in the world. They can only produce as much energy as their least powerful panel at any given moment, as they are set in an array together. (Being the winter months, there was a lot of snow covering them…AKA not much energy was probably being produced.) Likewise, the have "feet" that penetrate the roof of the auditorium, which raises concerns about water leakage into the roof and the auditorium. Finally, even at full capabilities, the panels cannot even provide enough power for the auditorium alone. That's a bit awkward.
The last thing I found seriously interesting was the bike showers and changing rooms. We spent quite a bit of money building shower and changing rooms for bikers, even though Huff Hall, which is full of showers and locker rooms, is right across the parking lot. Why did we spend all this money? For a point in LEED certification. Interesting use of our monetary resources if you ask me.

Erlanger House

On Thursday we took a long (and I mean long) walk over to the Erlanger House to see the architectural marvel that it is. I'm not saying it was far away but I am saying we were closer to Urbana High School that to the University once we got to the house over on Indiana. Anyway, I actually really enjoyed this trip.
The house was not terribly large, and was contracted and designed in a minimalist manner. You walk through a small doorway at the side of the house, which leads to a small entrance area. This area is mimicked on the opposite side of the first floor by the kitchen. The living space was very open and had a large window looking out to the from, but there were no windows that faced the street, giving a secluded feel to the house. The edges of the living area and the first floor in general had stones at the edges, trying to blur the line between inside and outside. The second floor (if you can call it that) was simply a loft, with a similar layout as the first floor. The bathroom (again, not really a room but merely sectioned off) was above the kitchen) and the bed was in the center of the loft.
I am not sure I liked the design of Erlanger House, but given our work with the first project I appreciate what it did and how it was built specifically for Mrs. Erlanger, a single woman. I wouldn't even mind going back sometime to see it again.

The Armory/the Secret Tunnel/Huff/the Practice Facility

We spent a good amount of time in class this past Tuesday talking about structural architecture and engineering. It was actually really interesting to look at the things that we take for granted in a building. It makes sense, then, that we started at Temple Hoyne with all the exposed structure there. We talked about the supports around the building and why they actually work like they do. For example, there is an i-beam that supports the building and runs between the stairs near where our class meets, and it cannot be much more than a foot in width. However, the engineers (or architects, I'm not sure which…) were able to allow this beam to work over such a long distance (maybe 50-60 feet) and not break. There are other support beams that pinch in on the sides of them beam so it does not break. A simple, yet effective engineering principle.
We saw similar ideas taking place in the Armory, Huff, and the practice football facility. In each building there were several beams stretched across the ceiling or roof to hold together and support the building. We saw how all the supports work together to create a network of support for the building. Although engineering is not my specialty, I can appreciate the work that goes into constructing something such as this. There were even simple architectural hints that pointed to the support structures and how important they are. In the practice football facility, there was a line extending down from every other beam where the ceiling and wall met. This was to represent that there was a beam there, although the wall covered it. It was almost like showing security even though we could not see the support was actually there.
My favorite part of the tour was probably the tunnel between Huff and the Armory. It was too bad we couldn't get through the door, but next time I'll try and figure out the code. Maybe the most important thing I learned was that Professor Hinders is a fearless leader when crossing the street. But that's all I will say about that.

The Invisible Mechanical Systems of Temple Hoyne

This past Tuesday we had the pleasure of taking another tour of Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, our true classroom building (although most of class time is spent outside of it). Professor Hinders decided that we would take a closer look into how the mechanical system of the building operated and how that affected the layout and functionality of the building. Unfortunately, we could not look at the wonderful masterpiece of the mechanical room, as all the locks in every building were changed so few people actually have access. But we did get to take a look around the building and see the systems put into use.
We first walked around the top floor and saw the air ducts. Although Charles was unable to identify correctly which vent was bringing air into the room and which was taking air out, we got to see how they run throughout the entire floor, which was actually pretty interesting. Those details are the things that I miss when I walk through a building, even one like Temple Hoyne, where most of the structure of the building is exposed. We also saw the individual rooms and how they deliver air so none of the professors get too hot or cold when working into the wee hours of the night. Probably the coolest thing we saw was when we went outside and saw the curvature of the southwest part of the building, and how the mechanical systems were actually very visible at the top of the building. This was worked into the architecture and was actually quite seamless.

That Krannert Life

The next class without Professor Hinders was a actually a great one (not because he was gone -- we just got to witness a very cool building on campus!) Despite not being graced with his presence, we were able to take a very insightful and informational tour of the Krannert Performing Arts Center over in Urbana. I did not realize truly how large and dominating this structure is. It really stands out and is a center for performance and learning on that side of campus. Our tour guide, who is a PhD student, told us a lot about the makings of  the building itself. One thing that really stuck out to me was the wood paneling on the floors near the main entrance. It might seem like something that could be easily overlooked or deemed unimportant, but no architectural corners were cut in the making of this performing arts center. The square wood paneling on the floor is meant to look like the landscape of Illinois, like miles of cornfields or wheat fields. It actually resonated with me that they would put that much effort into such a small detail.
The other thing I wanted to touch on was the great hall itself. I believe it is called the Foellinger Great Hall (totally not confusing) and I did not realize how big it was until we were taken in there for the first time. There are no right angles in the entire concert hall. I didn't believe it at first, but I checked. No right angles. The purpose of this was to create a perfectly acoustic space, and I think they accomplished that. Also, the chairs have special material. It is supposed to mimic the consistency of a human….I know that sounds kind of weird, but it would make sense if I had taken a picture of the chair or you could feel it. Anyway, I digress. Finally, the hollow stage allows performers to really hear themselves. Overall I was just really impressed with everything I got to see. It was an awesome experience.

Week 2 - That Huge Power Plant That Apparently Exists Way Over There

The tour of Abbot Lab was actually very eye-opening, as essentially everything in this class has been thus far. Unfortunately, Professor Hinders was unable to be in class and he will be absent for a week or two. (Teaching in Italy must be pretty rough!!) Nonetheless, I managed to take a lot away from the tour itself even without our esteemed professor. When we arrived we met in a small room and we were briefed about not taking pictures, so I will try not to give away any critical information that might compromise their business. (Note: Abbott Power Plant is really far away – couldn’t they have built it a LITTLE closer?)

            One thing I realized was that I know nothing about engineering or how power plants work. Most of the things we talked about as far as the function of the plant itself or technical things about engineering and running such a plant took a lot for me to try and understand. I guess that’s what I get for being a Finance major. Anyways, the architecture was very interesting. It was of course much different than any other building we had visited up to that point. Sort of like Temple Hoyne, much of the structure is exposed. It does not feel cozy or even safe. We looked at lots of tubing that transported the steam (it’s a steam and coal plant) and other machinery that aided in this process. We also got to see open coal burners, which was actually really cool. We inspected the boilers and even a turbine that are in the plant as well. What I took away from this tour overall was that the power plant was probably a good example of functionality over personal touch or feel. To be honest (and I could be wrong, this is just what I took away) there was not much to the building except what needed to be there. No symbolism, and not really much personal feel. But it was definitely a nice change of pace from all the classroom buildings we have seen.

Week 2 - The Northern Part of the Main Axis (AKA the less important quad)

For this walk we started at Temple Hoyne and then we walked towards the main quad and explored the northern half of the main axis including the Foellinger, the main quad, and the engineering quad. Let me start off this by talking about Foellinger. We quietly had a discussion inside the entrance of Foellinger about its importance. The dome is representative of a gathering place. The auditorium itself is the largest single classroom or auditorium on campus. Hence, it is on the main axis and is an integral part of the family of buildings that is the quad.

            Speaking of which, Professor Hinders commented on the idea of the quad as a family overall. There are essentially a eight buildings directly on the quad, including the Union at the head, Foellinger at the south, and each side with three different buildings ranging from the English Building to Noyes Laboratory. It is almost as if the Union is the father of the family, with the welcoming mother Foellinger at the other end, and the children on each side. The buildings also line up along the same plane on the quad, which feeds into this idea of gathering or unity at the quad.

            When we made our way up to the north quad and we noted how off center the main aisle of the quad itself is. It sort of extends out of the northwest wing of the Union. Despite the lack of uniformity to the main quad, the engineering school put a lot of effort into making it pleasant for the students who don’t often take classes south of Green street. The Boneyard Creek running through the quad actually gives a very pleasant atmosphere to the quad itself, which is very open and beautiful. The improvements they made to it also prevent the library in the basement of engineering hall to flood like it used to.

Finally, we made our way past Springfield and went all the way to the Beckman Institute which caps the northern part of campus. Despite the seeming phallus that adorns the front of the building, this is not the real issue that the building proposes. As Professor Hinders described, the north is historically where a large part of the African American community came from to get to campus, demographically speaking. The Beckman Institute is essentially a wall along University Avenue with no door, no entrance, no nothing to welcome in people and proclaim to the world that this is the University of Illinois! Hopefully in the future something to the effect that Professor Hinders described can be implemented, as the Beckman Institute poses an architectural insult.

Week 1 - Temple Hoyne and main principles

Today we took a closer look at the building in which we meet everyday – Temple Hoyne Buell Hall. We talked about a lot of different fundamental ideas in architecture. First and foremost, what it is. I like to think of architecture as not only the way to design a building for function and beauty, but also something with significant meaning, which is something Cody talked about. Patrick (aka Mark) spoke about how different architects have different styles or flares. That is why I really enjoyed looking closer at Temple Hoyne. It is very different from most of the other buildings on campus, as it was completed in 1994/1995 and really unites three different areas of study into one building. The landscape architecture, urban planning, and architecture sections all come together to form the one building. You can actually see the separate buildings inside, with three brick walls along the inside of the building being brought together by the open space in the middle. Another interesting thing was how the classrooms and offices are connecting by bridges, which signifies learning. This is sort of the “deeper meaning” that I find so interesting when looking at buildings.

We also walked to the architecture building, which was built by Charles Platt. We used the ideas of foreground, which we had also discussed while we were looking around in Temple Hoyne. You cannot look at two things at once and see both of them as they really are. One will serve as a focus point, and the other will the back background to your eyes. In Temple Hoyne, the stairs and the metal mesh covering utilize this idea. You can see them both at the same time, but one is going to be the focus and the other the background. On the outside of the architecture building, there sort of appears an aqueduct coming from the tops of the windows. The first two levels of windows are connected with stone so they appear like large archways. I can see why Prof. Hinders though this was the best building Charles Platt did. Although at first glance, it appears a fairly normal brick classroom hall, a more keen eye will pick up on the nuances that Mr. Platt was trying to portray.

Week 1 - The Axes of the University

The first architecture walk was very eye opening for me. I had never been in the stock pavilion before, and I appreciated our discussion about bringing people together, even when referring to people showing cattle for show. It made me realize that architecture is not necessarily just about making something correct or beautiful, but there are deeper meanings behind how things are designed. I also found the ideas of axes very interesting. It had never occurred to me that the main buildings on the quad actually were supposed to line up along a “main axis.” I had never stood at the bell tower before and realized the stock pavilion, Foellinger Auditorium, and the Illini Union lined up almost perfectly, and it made sense to me that these were some of the more important buildings on campus not only today, but also historically. The military axes also caught my attention. What interested me most was the historical context of why the military axis is actually called “the military axis” and how that changed over time due to the war and new student housing being put.

I found it funny that Professor Hinders commented on the poor execution of the ACES library and how it was almost an imitation of Foellinger. While the ACES library was meant to line up along the military axis (going east to west) with the bell tower and the old military parade field, it wasn’t done very well. The door faces south towards a parking lot instead of west toward the quad. This gives an almost unwelcoming feeling as if it were not even part of the south quad itself. Speaking of the south quad, it actually does seem a little too wide. Although there used to be Elm trees along the edges over a hundred years ago, they long sinced died due to Dutch Elm Disease. Now there are slightly smaller trees that help make the south quad a little less wide, but it still has a bit of an empty of unwelcoming feeling to it. I had always noticed it was a better place to play baseball in the early part of the fall semester but had not thought of the wideness of the grassy area in that way. Finally, our discussion on the bell tower was interesting. I think they chose a good spot for it, on the main axis instead of the location of the old farmhouse. However, the design really irks me. I would love a traditional bell tower much better. I don’t know who designed that tower or what they thought they were accomplishing.