by Deborah Rieselman
If first impressions are as important as statistics indicate, then UC could be in temporary trouble.
According to national surveys, prospective students make up their minds about attending a school within the first 15 minutes on campus. For a university where students have spent the last decade joking that UC stands for Under Construction, that's an unpleasant situation.
But in another year, most of those construction signs, piles of dirt and barricades will be gone, and visitors will have a whole new first impression when visiting UC. "UC Dreams" is a celebration planned to show off the accomplishments achieved since the Campus Master Plan was developed 10 years ago.
Although construction will not have ended totally at that time (and probably will never truly end), enough will have taken place for visitors to see a physically changed UC with a fresh ambience, says vice president for finance Dale McGirr. It's all part of the reason the Master Plan was adopted in '89 -- to literally alter the face of campus.
First impressions have been a scary situation for UC for some time, admits both McGirr and university architect Ron Kull. "We're not Miami University," Kull says, "and we never will be. We don't have Miami's consistent architectural style and pastoral setting."
Rather than bemoaning the fact, however, the administration decided to capitalize on it: First, it needed to impose general organization on all construction and halt the actions of colleges launching into programs independently. Second, it needed to stop the practice of plopping buildings on any available space and to start reclaiming surface parking lots for grassy areas. Last, it needed something that could both impress and unite the architectural diversity in a cohesive whole.
The answer to the final point was a "signature architect" program. Since campus already lacked architectural consistency, why not capitalize on that by having truly famous architects create new buildings that the world would want to see? Insightful minds contemplated turning campus into something of an architectural showplace, which would draw national and maybe international attention, as well as prompt intellectual discussions on the pros and cons of those architectural statements. Plus they saw a value in doing it in such a way that the buildings would be focal points that would complement the rest of campus.
Of course, it wasn't as easy as it sounds. There were myriad issues to address: serving the needs of the students, finding usable space in which to expand crowded facilities, attracting the caliber of architects UC wanted. That's why a Master Plan was so necessary. Every detail needed direction.
But the university is proud to say the whole concept is working -- working better than ever expected. And considering that most of those signature architect projects will have been completed by the end of the academic year 1999-2000, the timing seemed perfect for a year-long event called "UC Dreams."
Among the sites that will greet "UC Dreams" guests will be the Vontz Center for Molecular Studies by Frank Gehry, the Aronoff Center for Design and Art by Peter Eisenman, the Engineering Research Center by alumnus Michael Graves, the College-Conservatory of Music addition and renovation by Henry Cobb, the Vera Clement Edwards Building by David Childs and the Sigma Sigma Commons by George Hargreaves and Mary Margaret Jones. The only signature building uncompleted at that time will be the Jefferson Residence Halls by William Rahn Associates and Centerbrook Associates.
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