Amid the controversy over Evanston's proposed Fountain Square tower, Northwestern is bringing the architect behind the 38-story skyscraper to lead the engineering school's new architecture program.
NU has named Laurence Booth the inaugural Richard Halpern/RISE International Distinguished Architect in Residence for McCormick's new undergraduate concentration in architectural engineering and design . The design principal of Chicago-based Booth Hansen Associates has a multi-year contract with NU and will teach in addition to directing the program, which begins in the fall.
Joseph Schofer, associate dean of McCormick and professor of civil and environmental engineering, helped create the curriculum for the program. For many years, McCormick faculty talked about combining the strength of NU's engineering program and the history of Chicago architecture, Schofer said.
But before the program could get off the ground, the school needed an experienced architect to guide it.
"We searched around the region and beyond, and Larry Booth was our choice," Schofer said.
Booth, a Chicago native, received his bachelor's degree from Stanford, studied architecture at Harvard and received his bachelor's degree in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
During the 1970s, he was part of the "Chicago Seven," a group of experimental architects in the city. In 1980, he started his own firm. He has also been a visiting professor and lecturer at numerous universities, including Harvard.
Art history Prof.. David Van Zanten, who will teach a course on the history of architecture in the new program, has known Booth professionally for years. Booth's creativity sets him apart from other architects, he said.
"He was a thinker," Van Zanten said. "He's the kind of person who's asked to run programs that are about conceptual thinking."
The new program is a concentration within civil and environmental engineering. Students who complete the program will be prepared for graduate studies in architecture, Schofer said. The concentration was created with the help of a donation from Richard and Madeline Halpern and RISE International.
2008 Woodie Awards
The DAILY encourages you to share your thoughts on this story. Please help us keep the discussion lively, but civil. Comments that are abusive to others, off-topic or vulgar, or comments that misrepresent someone's identity, will not be tolerated. We reserve the right to delete any comments in violation or to close comment threads on articles.
Please e-mail online@dailynorthwestern.com to flag a comment or for more information.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Jeff
posted 6/02/08 @ 11:12 AM CST
Wow your president is arrogant."We appoint who we please"
Typical NU attitide to the city.
Let's hope they build the TOWER on university land. (Continued…)
jeff
posted 6/03/08 @ 5:16 PM CST
Dear Mr. Who Knows
Obviously you are affliated with NU.
If you have lived here a long time you would understand the NU has very little empathy for the city it occupies. (Continued…)
Post a Comment