University of Virginia Library

A-School Set To Switch Homes

More space, up-to-date facilities and a
chance to emphasize practice as well as
theory are among the advantages students
and faculty at the School of Architecture
are anticipating as they prepare to move
into their new building next month.

The building, on Carr's Hill right
behind the president's home, and an
adjoining new library are the first phases
completed in the University's proposed
fine arts center which eventually also will house
the departments of speech and drama, music
and art and the Radio-Television Center. The
library, designed to house 50,000 volumes, will
serve the entire complex.

"The most significant building constructed
at the University since Jefferson designed and
built the original academical village, in terms of
style, character, innovation, quality and almost
any other good term you choose" is the way
Joseph N. Bosserman, dean of the architecture
school, describes the four-story brick and
concrete building.

Increased Space

Increased space is a primary feature of the
new $3.3 million building which provides three
times the space of the old facilities. The new
building has seven seminar rooms as opposed to
the one in Fayerweather Hall, three step-seat
auditorium classrooms instead of none. Special
equipment in the building ranges from a
photographic darkroom to a blue-line printer to
a wind tunnel where students can test the
abilities of their models to withstand wind
stresses.

A special feature of the building will be the
specialized laboratory areas which will allow
class presentations and exercises to stress
practical demonstrations. In indoor or outdoor
workshops students will be able to make models
and subject them to tests. They will even be
able to mix their own concrete and control the
heating system as they gain practical experience
with architectural materials and methods.

Sophisticated Rooms

Probably the most sophisticated rooms in the
building the two classrooms where
professors will be able to demonstrate such
environmental elements as light, temperature
and airflow, so that students can actually
experience changes in their surroundings. This
is aimed at making them more aware of
environmental design criteria.

"These environmental laboratories are probably
the most comprehensive at any architecture
school in the country," Dean Bosserman
says.

Moving from the old building will begin
January 15, with the final phase scheduled for
February 3, the first day of second-semester
classes. On that day, the 286 architecture and
planning students will form a line between
Fayerweather Hall and the new library to
transfer in proper order, book by book, the
approximately 15,000-volumes of the architecture
library collection. Using this method,
the books can be reshelved in order on the spot
and will be available for use the following day.

Rawlings and Wilson of Richmond are
architects for the new building which was
designed by Pietro Beusch and Kenneth
DeMay of Sasaki, Dawson, DeMay Associates,
Inc., Associated Architects for Design, Watertown,
Mass.