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.