The Aggie forum
Page 2
THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1974
TAMU architect cuts designs
By RICHARD EDWIN
VROOMAN
M. ARCH., Texas A&M, 1952
The Aggie Forum is open to all
members of the TAMU community
who wish to express ideas which
cannot be developed in the Listen
up letters column.
Choice of columns to be pub
lished and editing of those columns
are at the discretion of the Editor.
Thanks for the recent articles giv
ing us the details of the interior de
sign of the Memorial Student
Center addition, and the name of
the designer. We architects would
like to see also printed the names of
the administrators who selected this
designer and approved his designs.
In the 1960’s and 1970 s the Board
of Directors of Texas A&M has
brought about remarkable progress
in many areas toward the goal of
making this a great university. In
the area of Architecture, the Board
has sometimes progressed and
sometimes retrogressed.
In the course I teach called “The
Arts and Civilization” I am using as a
textbook Toynbee s A Study of
History . This great scholar refers
several times to “mimesis” or “social
imitation of ancestors.” He says,
“The dead weight of meticulously
observed customary practice ob
structs innovation and social prog
ress.” Mimesis has often appeared
in architecture. Careful copying of
sensitive designs is certainly flat
tery, but it is not creative architec
ture. If it becomes eclecticism - the
assembly of a variety of traditional
details without an awareness of their
proper relationship - then it is not
Your Man at Batt]
By WILL ANDERSON J
even good mimesis.
Texas A&M University expresses
the will of the people of the State
when it seeks the best in every field
whether Agronomy, Nuclear Sci
ence, or whatever. In the field of
Architecture, some first-rate build
ings have been erected, thanks to
the wisdom of the Board. But that
wisdom occasionally fails, and it has
failed in a critical area: in the hous
ing of the administrators them
selves. The Board has clearly not
heeded the advice of qualified pro
fessionals when it builds such de
signs as that of the President’s house
(built in the 1960 s, not in the
1860’s), the interior of the Board of
Directors’ quarters (built in the
1970’s, not in the 1770’s), and the
interior decoration of the M.S.C.
which has been forced on the stu
dents and other users. Had these
designs been based on cost savings,
there might be some justification.
In any case, these design decisions
were made by Board Members with
no apparent qualification to judge
whose brass legs try to imitate the
wood of trees. Designers who com
mit this sort of folly would fail as
students at Texas A&M, or in any
other college of Architecture in the
world.
It is reported that one recent
Board Member, H. C. Heldenfels,
was primarily responsible for the
selection of the designs for the
President’s house and the interior of
the addition to the Student Center.
The entire Board must, of course,
accept the responsibility. Perhaps
these designs attract donations to
the University from like-minded
“Exes,” but people with such views
are few, and they are refusing to
accept the present and the future.
Others more aware of what consti
tutes good design - architects, pro
fessionals in related fields, and truly
educated laymen (“education” is the
opposite of “mimesis”) - can only
blush and fume when visitors see
the housing of our administrators.
“But don’t you have an outstanding
College of Architecture here?
esthetics. These designs deny the then how did this happen?”
A letter to yesterday’s Battalion (Courts taken) com
plained that the three main gym floors were always in
use by university or intramural teams and unavailable
to “regular” students. Mark Chastain, Ron Felderhoff
and Lyle Element said the floors were taken by basket
ball or volleyball three hours every afternoon and asked
how better scheduling could be arranged.
Dennis Corrington, intramural director, said his de
partment was working with the physical education and
athletic departments to relieve the crowding.
There are 1,656 students in the volleyball program
alone so the gyms are far from being controlled by “as few
as 100” people.
There was a week or two when there was no room for
general recreation at all, Corrington said. Coips pass-
bys, wrestling and other activities cause exceptions, but
the gyms are open to “regular students at these hours.
The Deware Field House, from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.;
the third floor annex in George Rollie White Coliseum
from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p. m.; the main
floor in the coliseum, from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Corrington said that he hoped the priorities for in
creased indoor athletic facilities would be increased.
A letter yesterday from Darrell Pye (Nice but un
wanted fungi) complained of how long it was taking to
repair his room. A water leak had been repaired, but
fungus and ruined paint have remained for 11 weeks.
He said RAs and counselors had been little help and that
housing had been giving him the runaround.
I called Ed Morris, assistant housing manager, exp
lained the complaint to him and told him I had promised
to check up on it.
“Well, you’ve checked,” Morris said.
“But, don’t you have some kind of comment?” I asked.
He said he didn’t.
“Don’t you want the student’s name or room
number?” I asked again.
“You’ve checked, ” he said. “We ll take care of it from
here.”
Goodbye, Mr. Morris.
I called Pye this afternoon and talked to his roommate.
Chuck Kirkham. As of 5 p.m., their room had not been
“taken care of by the housing office.
I’m going to have to keep checking, I guess.
existence of the College of Architec
ture and of the profession of Ar
chitecture as it is practiced today.
These designs prevent Texas A&M
from being considered a great uni
versity.
Keep in mind that architects ap
preciate the truly sensitive designs
of all of the history of Architecture.
On the campus, there are a few fine
old buildings. But no architect
today who is worthy of the name
“architect” copies the designs of
long-past eras. If designs had to be
imitated on the campus, those of
certain early Texas buildings (as il
lustrated by Buch Schiwetz) would
have been better choices for inspira
tion. Many of those were honest
buildings.
In using the term “Architecture,
we mean the complete design of a
building, inside as well as outside.
The house of the first President of
the Republic of Texas was “Ar
chitecture in that a good job was
done with wood worked with li
mited hand tools: the shutters not
only closed over the windows but
also had adjustable louvers made
without machines. Today, the first
and most obvious indication that a
house is not Architecture is the false
shutter - the decorative thing flank
ing a window, fastened to a wall so
that it cannot close, and in many
cases even if it could close it is not
wide enough to cover half the win
dow. This kind of design is like pin
ning a monkey’s tail back on a
human being and letting it hang out
behind his/her clothing.Another
example of this is false columns -
supporting no load. We had hoped
that the final example of this to be
built on the campus would be the
Coke Building back in the 1950 s.
Still another example of bad design
is that in which one material im
itates another, such as a bench
Che Battalion
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the unusual
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good Thurs., Fri., Sat.
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As for the students’ reaction to
Pahlmann’s details in their Student
Center, they have reason to be un
happy.
At present, another Board
Member is imposing his esthetic
judgment on the design of the prop
osed new College of Architecture
building - a building designed for
architects by other architects. The
preliminary cost estimate indicates
that some items must be cut to bring
the cost within the budget. Several
desirable practical items must be
omitted. But this Board Member
insists on spending thousands of dol
lars on a device to screen from view
certain details which he considers
unattractive. We architects do not
presume to advise this Member on
business investments. We cannot
accept his nonqualified judgment on
our work. We trust he will retreat
from this position, or there will have
to be an answer to the people of
Texas who demand that their money
be wisely spent.
We architects do not question the
authority of the Board to make deci
sions, nor do we question the sincer
ity of the Board. These are success
ful and basically good men who truly
want the best for Texas A&M. Their
judgment - usually good - has in the
cases cited above been unfortunate.
The Governor of the State should
screen prospective Board Members
with regard to attitude toward de
sign. An architect or other design
professional who is highly respected
by his/her peers should he ap
pointed to the Board. Meanwhile
the Board owes us a promise to be
guided by competent professional
advice from today onward. We
thank the Board for its dedicated
work otherwise.
Vrooman has taught Architec
ture in the Texas A&M System
since 1949.
In 1955 he won the competition
to design the All-Faiths Chapel.
From 1961 to 1968 he rep
resented Texas A&M in establish
ing the first school of Architecture
in East Pakistan - now Bangladesh.
In 1972 Vrooman received A Fa
culty Distinguished Achievement
Award.
In 1973 he was elected a Fellow
in the American Institute of Ar
chitects.
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ATTENTION
CLASS OF ’77
SOPHOMORE CLASS COUNCIL REPORT
The purpose of this advertisement is to inform the sophomore class what their elected officers and council have
been doing to benefit the Class of ’77. We set as goals for this year to have more activities, be of service to the
university, community, and the class, to leave $2000 in our own treasury, to leave records of our activities and
meetings to benefit the officers elected next year, to strive to unify the class through projects and finally to keep
the class informed of what is being done.
The officers are: Kelly DeWitt, Paul Lombardino, Mike Cox, and John Riddles. The council members are: Jill
Burckle, Patricia Bode, Rob Booth, Mike Box, Gary Brown, Susan Clark, Sharon Coins, Eleanor Darden, Steve
Elliot, Susan Fontaine, Steve Fort, Charles Galindo, Greg Hunt, Carolyn Johnson, George Karagas, Mary Ellen
Martin, Geri McCoy, Missie Miller, Dan Muehleisen, Margaret Oates, Linda Patterson, Gerard Pelletier, Susan
Price, Jim Ramsey, Beck Rohland, Melodye Round, Marty Roundtree, Melanie Seeley, Duane Thompson, and
Shannon Walker. Dorms that still don’t have representatives are: Hart, Hotard, Law, Legett, Mclnms, Moses,
Puryear, Utay, and Walton. The presidents of these dorms should contact Kelly DeWitt to insure proper
representation of their dorms.
We have had two money making programs. The first project was selling “Cotton Pickin Aggie” bumper stickers
and we made over $600 profit. CWENS and Omega Phi Alpha helped us in this sales program. The second
activity that we sponsored was a 1950’s dance that was quite successful. It was held in DeWare Fieldhouse on
November 2, after the Arkansas game. Music was provided by KTAM. Disc jockey Dave Kelly hosted the
program. We made almost $125 from the dance and are planning another dance of this type next year.
TREASURER S REPORT
We had $768.82 left from last year and we now have $1423.64. This includes a $100 donation we made to the
bonfire to buy climbing equipment and ropes.
SOPHOMORE BALL
The Sophomore Ball will be on February 1 in Zachry from 8:00-12:00. DOPPELGANGER, a brass band that
plays top forty and country western music, will provide entertainment. DOPPELGANGER is a seven piece band
from Houston, that plays Chicago style. Tickets on sale soon. Tickets will be $6 a couple, dress will be formal but
not necessarily a tux.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Also scheduled for next semester is a Sophomore Picnic on April 26, and another dance that we will sponsor on
February 15 after the Arkansas basketball game.
We urge sophomores to get in touch with the officers or members of the council if they have any ideas or
questions. We hope that this has been informative and cleared up any questions you might have had.
SOPHOMORE CLASS COUNCIL