With the help of a $180,000 campus heritage grant from the Getty Foundation, the University’s School of Architecture did extensive research to develop a historic preservation plan for on-campus structures.
The findings, which will be part of an upcoming exhibition in the Student Union, include an in-depth analysis of the original 18 buildings which made up the Quad. The project examined the buildings’ history — including the original master plan for campus by architectTheodore Link in the 1920s — as well as the current condition of the structures today.
Michael Desmond, architecture professor and head of the project, said while the buildings are mostly in good condition, there are some problems, like the visible cracks on many of the structures. The preservation plan developed in the project will serve as a guide whenthese and other architectural issues are repaired.
As part of the exhibition, architect senior Drew Wallace constructed intricate wooden models of three of the original 18 buildings—Atkinson Hall, Foster Hall and Hill Memorial Library. Each model is based on the original building plans and took several months to complete.
The exhibit will be shown in the Union from September 10 to October 25. It will then travel to different museums across the state under the care of the Secretary of State’s office.
 
—-Contact Ryan Buxton at [email protected]