A couple of days ago I caught one of my colleagues with a copy of the 1957 Pierce and Pierce design proposal for the Anderson Biology Building. (Sad!) I immediately commandeered it and I’m quite glad I did.
I don’t think I’ve ever called a building proposal charming before, but this one certainly is. The architects clearly understood the purpose of the proposed building and they communicated with equal clarity how their design would enable Rice’s biologists to do their work–both teaching and research–more effectively.
Have a look at this opening section. The lack of jargon, bluster, or grandiosity makes this one of the most refreshing things I’ve come across in the archives in a good while:
The drawings in the packet are just as delightful:
It makes me wish I liked the building better.
While we’re on the topic here are a couple of construction shots. The first one was taken in June, 1957 and the second in February, 1958:
Bonus:
