University of Houston Arch Building

[pytheus]

I realize this is probably an already tired and exhausted topic, but new to me. I visited for the first time the Arch Dept. at UH to see the underground arch exhibit 'Ant Farm' next door in the Fine Arts center, and was struck at the pointlessness of the crowning pillars of UH's arch bldg. One can not access the view from up there, so its only to be admired from afar. Seems pretenscious and absurd to me. An homage to the classics in an unfunctional and pompous nod. Am I way off base in my layman and negative critique asaid edifice? Does the decision favoring that building's design speak unfavorably about the school itself?

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[pytheus]

Thank you 27!!

So, basically PF stole the idea, and almost the entire lame structure from someone else, adding only a flourish of a square instead of a circle. Hero worhship for previous work has its moment, but come on. From my admittedly myopic perspective, that does not save PJ from critism of that structure: A glorified barn with an absurd roof ornamentation. And more importantly, the UH board members who decidedly choose that design. I agree with subdude that "I used to be disgusted, now I'm just amused." after reading that thread. Sorry to scratch at an old scab, but I still find that building a laughable travesty.

Can anyone share some insight as to UH's school or Architecture as in if its good, better/worse then others, or judged by the building in which it resides?

[tw2ntyse7en]

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[MidtownCoog]

Take a stroll through this building at the end of the semester around 3:00am when all the students have their projects on display.

That's when you'll understand the buidling. You have to go inside it to appreicate it.

[Subdude]

I am personally no fan of the UH Architecture building, but it seems to be fairly representative of the post-modern design trend of the period in which it was built. The point of the rooftop lantern isn

[MidtownCoog]

Anyone have a picture of Claude-Nicholas Ledoux original? I have seen it in the library, but never online.

[Subdude]

There's an illustration towards the bottom of the topic thread linked above.

[Guest Professional Hornblower]

Seems a bit of a stretch to judge the school by the building though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gee, ya think?

My oh my Subdude, you never cease to amaze me.

From what I've heard (talking to Joe Colaco, the structural engineer of the project), each building on campus had a clause in which 5% of the construction cost had to be spent on "artwork", as it were.

The fake columns on the roof (although stolen from Ledoux's 400+ year old design), were PJ's intent of "artwork". When asked by building committee members, "what is the idea of the columns on the roof?" PJ replied, "Well that's your 5%" and carried on, as the salesman that he apparently was.

The building itself is HIGHLY successful as an "open" place of learning. The open studio idea works wonderfully for academic cameraderie. Someone earlier said to "stroll through during jury". He's correct. You'll understand the idea of the tiered-system when you watch a few juries. Granted, some of the elements do not work PERFECTLY (such as the library, and photo room), but for the building's primary function (Studio), almost all of the students would agree that it works.

Subdude, UH College of Architecture is the forefront of all architecture schools in Texas. Last time NAAB came to town, they gave 37/37 in the accrediting criteria, something that hasn't been done by any architecture school in Texas. Dean Mashburn also started up the state's first Industrial Design program. It received a 5-year accreditation certificate, and attracts several top professors.

-Hornblower

[Guest Professional Hornblower]

That being said, for me the building still doesn

[Astro]

I saw it for the first time in person only a couple of months ago, only from the outside. And I hate it... I think it's hideous.

[arche_757]

As a fifth year student there I have to say the building sucks!

Im sure the modernist overtones in me are at play here but it really doesnt work, not anymore anyway. The school has outgrown its building, now we have an Industrial Design program, High-Rise Masters program, Space Architecture Program (about 1 century ahead of its time!), plus a fairly large grad. program in its own right. And around 400+ architecture students.

Overall the school is good, but I think its overated, we seldom get any decent architects to lecture, and never have any exibitions worth a damn. Although the last one in the Archives was a very nice spotlight on a historic (1950's era - modern house). Cesar Pelli, and David Lake recently lectured the school, but they only did that because they happend to be in town (more importantly - ON CAMPUS, since both firms are designing new buildings at UH). I have many complaints - but then thats because the awe of being an architectural major ahs finaly worn off, and the light at the end of the tunnel is a little less inspiring than I thought it would be (in my youthful dreams and dilusions of granduer).

[Guest Professional Hornblower]

I saw it for the first time in person only a couple of months ago, only from the outside.  And I hate it... I think it's hideous.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

lol. Yeah, compared to the other buildings on campus it's really craptastic. Did you go inside? Oh, that's right...no.

Follow-up question...have you visited Rice's architecture building?

Go do that, then come back on here. That is a school with much more ample funds, and look what they did with their school.

-The Horny Blower.

[Guest Professional Hornblower]

As a fifth year student there I have to say the building sucks!

The school has outgrown its building,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, I'll give you that. How are you supposed to stop that though? Tighten up enrollment criteria?

The building does not lend itself well to expansion. There's really no good way to addend the building. How would you go about expansion? Put a separate building on the lawn (perhaps on the loading dock side?), and somehow connect it (or not?)

Maybe they make a new auditorium or architecture library adjacent to the building, and use those spaces to fill in? I don't know...what do you think?

[Astro]

lol.  Yeah, compared to the other buildings on campus it's really craptastic. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree. I think the Moody Towers look much better.

[westguy]

UH doesn't always expand their old buildings. Right now they are working on the third science building. An expansion of the Arch program will probably fill in one of the parking lots.

However, once they move Industrial Design into the shed outside, they should free up some room in the studios. Unfortunately the green roof experiment means this project probably won't be complete for several years.

[arche_757]

Expand the current Architecture building? NO!

Build a new building with better planning for the students and late nights most of them tend to pull....

Move ID, and Interior Design into their own building or atleast floor, and free up space at the art college (where Int. Design is now). Build a larger auditorium in the new building, also build several computer labs...

This wont happen for a long time (as I see it).

Tighten up enrollement (really)!!! There are to many crappy students making it to 3-4 years. These people who barely eek out projects that should be given an F on are going to be designing buildings all of you will someday either go into, live in or atleast look at?

I think the college is a good school, and my complaints exist only because Im in the "system" but I hope the school (UH) plans more academic buildings for its outstanding programs before it addresses the other "lesser" colleges on campus. This sounds bad, but I think helping the well established programs grow only strenghtens the university as a whole.