Masonry Magazine April 2005 Page. 44
MASONRY AROUND THE NATION
Photos courtesy of the University of Akron
HISTORY RENEWED:
New Landscape for Learning
In 1999, THE UNIVERSITY OF AKRON, led by Ted Curtis, AIA, NCARB, Vice President of Capital Planning and Facilities Management, embarked on a historic mission to expand its urban campus into a suburban setting. Titled the "New Landscape for Learning," this project included creating nine new buildings, 14 renovations, six to eight additions, infrastructure changes and landscaping.
The goal was to create a unified area that had the feel of a European villa-strong visual ties, sweeping rooflines and characteristically similar structures. The University was challenged, however, by the broad spectrum of buildings in various styles, shapes and sizes. Continuing the strong theme of red-brown brick, stone and glass utilized throughout the older parts of the campus, the University used masonry and landscaping to create the unification that they were looking for.
"Most of us admire the original part of the campus, many of which are red-brown brick with stone," Curtis says. "Brick gives us the continuity, versatility, the color, the permanence, and we couple that with stone, which brings in the traditional campus feeling. You can have a playful, but respectable, building."
To make way for the new Student Recreation and Wellness Center/Athletic Field House structure, the University had to demolish Spicer Hall, an 80-year-old student services building that had outlived its usefulness. But Spicer Hall had a lot of history on the campus, as well as some unusual decorative materials.
"Looking at that building, it had some wonderful architectural characteristics-terra cotta arches, pieces, coping-beautifully done and all designed by Akron architect Roy Firestone," says Curtis. "The terra cotta was too beautiful to go to the wrecking ball. So we cut all that terra cotta out, put them on pallets, and stored them for about two to three years."
With no real strategy envisioned for the Spicer Hall terra cotta, the University continued with the building of the 140,000-square-foot recreation center. It wasn't until after that section of the campus was completed that the University of Akron arches began in concept.
"We have this strong axis from the rec center diagonally across campus to the student union, a strong walkway and visual tie," Curtis explains. "Then all of a sudden it hit me."
The terra cotta pieces pulled from Spicer Hall years before, along with the red-brown brick theme to unify the campus, were a perfect fit to create three arches to accentuate this visual line. Gallagher Masonry, Inc., of Norton, Ohio, was brought in to make these arches a reality.