Wolfson is a humanist College, which sits on the banks of the River Cherwell way, way to the north of the city centre. Despite being one of the younger colleges it appears to have bagged the very best venue in all Oxford, a site that encouraged the development of a punt harbour complete with a fleet of well-maintained punts – presided over by a student nominated Admiral of Punts. A tranquil setting located well away from the descending hoards of Oxford tourists – well worth the ten-minute bike ride from the Bodleian Library. The college owns two historic meadows on the opposite side of the bridged river that, because of ‘significant scientific interest’ are protected. Beautiful green spaces The architecture is executed in modern crisp, minimalist concrete, faced with crushed granite, avoiding the brutal excess of some contemporary structures. It sits with dignity among the beautiful green spaces and well-tended gardens. The buildings deliver value for money but end up looking a little like a continental holiday complex, positioned round three loose quads. From the outset of construction, efforts were made to leave established trees standing. The institution is for mature postgraduates only. It was founded to provide places for the ever-increasing numbers of degree students looking to continue their education and has around 608men and woman studying. Married quarters are provided along with childcare facilities about which Wolfson is passionate. The Nursery strives to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children can develop at their own pace. The carers aim to achieve this in close consultation with parents. The college humanist principles are evident in its recognition that all children have different needs and ... ... middle of paper ... ... new view of the college with an instantly recognisable entrance. A functional ventilation tower breaks the horizontal rhythm of the existing buildings, suggesting the gatehouses of medieval Oxford. Architects Berman Guedes Stretton took their cue from the original Powell and Moya buildings but also included suggestions from the college, who asked for a more interesting roof shape, than was initially planned, to echo the original dining hall. The architects introduced bands of granite and intersecting interior beam angles that seem to dance across the space they enclose. The effect is especially dramatic in the lecture hall, further enhanced by the seating rake and chestnut trim. Wolfson avoids the disruptive extravagances undergraduates can cause and provides a civilised tight-knit community of motivated and focused scholars in a supportive and liberal environment.
Oxford University Press - OUP - UK Official Home Page of Oxford University Press - Oxford Books. Web. 15 Feb. 2011. .
As described in the historical context of the student affairs profession, the development of student personnel was a huge milestone for the life of universities. In loco parentis; responsibility and concern for the whole student body, assuming the role as a parent to assist students in all aspects of their undergraduate experience. This concept has been embedded in the profession since the colonial system. A unique aspect of the colonial system was the
...rder for birds to feel even more welcome to the site. Because of the size and the importance of the aviary to the whole building, the aviary is located in the middle, leaving space and easy access for birdwatching. In this way kids, schoool, parents and adults are welcome to spend a day watching birds and educate themselves about the area, its history and the environment. A library, a lecture theater and an information desk are included in the centre to help people study about nature. Also, a number of laboratorys are located in the basement floor, with easy access to the aviary to maintain a healthy environment for the birds but also to encourage reseach and surveys on nature. In this way, researches from over the world can come to analyse and research about the birds. The cafeteria and the roof ‘amphitheater’ allow the visitors a more relaxing atmosphere.
It is the new decade after the end of world war two and modernism is a well-established practice. Its pioneers and spearheads are prevalent figures looming over the new architects and designers who are trying to make their mark in the shadows of such historically influential people. With new technologies and materials emerging from the world wars the next era of modernism had started to evolved, bringing with it philosophies and ideas which seemed far removed from those of the pioneers of modernism “What emerged in the late 1940s and 1950s was an expanding synthesis of questions utterly removed from the confident statements of the pioneers.”(Spade 1971,10) Two significant buildings were designed in the 50's, both of them for educational institutes and to house students of architecture, there were both designed in completely different styles and methods. The first is Ludwig Mies van der Rohes' Crown Hall, finished in 1956 and designed as a part of a campus master plan for the Illinois Institute of technology in Chicago. Mies' design for Crown Hall is one of his most realised expressio...
Vickery, Margaret Birney. “The Little Band of Pioneers: Girton College.” In Buildings for Bluestockings. Cranbury: Associated University Press, 1999. 1-40.
Lawson, Andrew. Encyclopedia Brittanica . Vol. 14 New York: Random House Pub., 1991 Witcombe, Christopher. "Sweet Briar College" Virginia 5 Dec. 1993 n.pag. On-line. Internet.
When walking through Boston's renowned Harvard Yard, one may scope out the mixture of architecture throughout its landscape. From the traditional Memorial Hall influenced by Romanesque churches, to the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts, Harvard Yard is like a salad bowl of architecture. Perhaps because I am a lover of Victorian style structures, or maybe because of its interior's beauty and richness, Memorial Hall intrigued my interest most of all.
As Peter F. Drucker once said, “The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.” Most people may think Drucker is referring to people, which is most likely correct, however, what if it worked the same way with buildings and structures? As Strange and Banning argue in Educating by Design, this “non-verbal communication” (4) is especially important on a college campus as the way a college is presented can be symbolic of the values that the institution upholds. On the Lehigh University campus, the layout is all on the side of a mountain, and therefore walking on pathways can be difficult, especially in inclement weather. The “functional and symbolic” (Strange and Banning, 4) non-verbal communication of the Lehigh University
Horizontal bands of dark green marble provide a solid contrast to the band of golden stones that form the center of the huge platform. Above and below are additional horizontal expanses of rock in lighter greens, and rich burgundies. Decorative features provide a sense dimensionality, as if the bands were carved from rock. Rising vertically from the platform are three dark alcoves, surrounded by green marble. Above looms a large frieze with three decorative, horizontal bands. The lowest contains repeating golden geometric patterns, with reddish shadows that provides a sense of carved plaster. Next is a band of colored rectangles, cut and polished stonework, agates and geodes. The topmost band is very dark, highlighted with swirling, colorful floral patterns, and trimmed with gold. And, between decorative frieze and solid stone platform, the walls are red, trimmed with
The Hive Library, in Worcester, is a four-story building that is made of golden-colour copper aluminium alloy (exterior) and water proof concrete (interior). Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios designed the building, which costs around ‘£38m’(Ijeh, The modern reader, p2). The library was designed for the use of public as well as the use Worcester University student. On the other hand, Christopher Wren designed The Trinity College in 1676-1695 in Cambridge. It’s a single large room, at the first floor level. Several feet below the external division, between the two stories, lies the floor of the library (Hawkes, Origins of Building Science, p87). This gives is a better architecture proportion. The library was designed for the use of Cambridge student only. The use of both libraries explains the difference in size of the two buildings. The Hive was designed for public and Worcester university students, whereas Trinity was only designed for Cambridge university students. The Hive is bigger because larger population is using the library than the Trinity library.
The student body is vibrant with clubs and societies to meet every demand, backed by a JCR that boasts the largest budget in Oxford. Drama is especially strong with a dedicated studio theatre. Both physical and bar sports are indulged with great passion. All first and third years can be accommodated on site with many, but not all, second years being sheltered at Jowett Walk, situated by the college sports field less than a 5 minute walk away. All are study bedrooms equipped with internet connection. Self-catering facilities are provided for students who do not fancy dining in hall.
St John’s is the third largest college in the University of Cambridge. It sits on a huge site, straddling the River Cam a little to the north of the city centre, which is within walking distance. Its closest neighbours are Trinity and Magdalene. The famous Bridge of Sighs links the east river bank to the west and the entire layout has no less than 8 courtyards, along with several gardens and many open spaces. The college purposefully sets out to provide academic stimulation of the highest order, whether in a formal supervision setting or an informal courtyard debate. The students not only work hard but play hard too, with the famous St John’s May Ball being voted the ‘7th best party in the world’ by Time magazine. The college provide some of the finest sporting facilities in Cambridge, along with creative opportunities for both musicians and artists.
Brasenose College is in the centre of Oxford situated by Radcliffe Square overlooking the main quadrangle of the Bodleian Library. It is affectionately referred to as ‘BNC’ or ‘The Mighty Nose’. As with many learned institutions the evolution from lodging houses, where academics would gather and exchange ideas, to a more formal place of education was smooth and steady.
There is a Romanesque style in the arched windows and the brick walls. The Beaux-Arts tradition is a T-shaped floor plan. The building measures 75 feet in diameter with three wings. The Rotunda’s walls are made of Italian marble and the floors have mosaic tile. The statue in the center of the floor is called “Three Muses.”
The building is 158 meters high and has 23 floors. It also utilizes Mies Rohe’s concept of "less is more" (Zhang, 2014; He, 2010). The structure of the building is simple and symmetry. Although it is a regular hexahedron, it needs actuate calculation (He, 2010). 75% of exterior wall of the building makes by bronze-tinted glass (Abercrombie, 2013). It uses Bronze-tinted color because it is a popular color at 1952. Moreover, normal glass cause environment hot at summer and cold at winter (Masello, 2015). Also, the exterior wall adds bronze window frame. It makes the building better sense of line and extended the form of the regular hexahedron’s building. It has the window frame transmits to people a sense of relative