TROY, N.Y. — When the School of Architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admitted its first class in 1931, undergraduate students were required to take “general cultural subjects” in addition to their technical courses to ensure they received “as well rounded an education as the demands of their technical courses permitted.” Three-quarters of a century later, Rensselaer continues to produce architects with broad, interdisciplinary academic backgrounds that support and complement their technical training.  As the Institute prepares to celebrate its 200th Commencement on Saturday, May 20, the School of Architecture is marking its 75th anniversary. 

“As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the School of Architecture at Rensselaer, we reflect on the growth of our program, the contributions of our alumni, and the opportunities ahead for our graduates. When the School opened in 1931 it had just four faculty members and an enrollment of less than 40 students. Today it has evolved to include nearly 25 innovative faculty members, and a student body of more than 300 ambitious students who are willing to explore, who view design as a means for both articulating and resolving problems, and who are committed to improving the quality of the built world,” says School of Architecture Dean Alan Balfour.

“Today’s architects must be prepared to function in a global environment, incorporating consideration of landscape, economy, politics, and culture into design. Beyond the imagination and intelligence displayed in their work, the students in the graduating Class of 2006 have demonstrated their capacity as global thinkers. Through architecture, in their own ways, they will contribute to building a better future, as have those who have gone before them and left their architectural mark on the world,” says Balfour.

During this year’s Commencement ceremony Peter Bohlin ’58 — one of Rensselaer’s prominent architecture alums – will be awarded an honorary degree. Bohlin is a founding principal of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, an architectural firm responsible for designing such high-profile buildings as Pixar Studios Headquarters in Emeryville, Calif.; houses for Bill Gates; and six different Apple stores around the world, including Tokyo, New York City, and England. 

At the May 20 Commencement, Rensselaer also will honor former School of Architecture student, professor, associate dean, and dean David Haviland ’64. He will receive the Trustee Medal, a rare honor bestowed on only one other member of the Rensselaer community in the history of the Institute. At the December 2005 meeting of the Board of Trustees, Haviland was cited for his service “as a student leader, a beloved professor and mentor, a trusted administrator, counselor, friend, and true son of Rensselaer.”  In addition to his work in the School of Architecture, Haviland also held positions as research center director, vice president for student life, and vice president for institute advancement. He retired in December 2005, after 40 years of service to Rensselaer. 

Following in the footsteps of these celebrated architecture alumni, noteworthy graduates of the Class of 2006 include:

Design on Display
Erin Cusker, of East Amherst, N.Y., has spent much of her undergraduate career in the School of Architecture as a member of Falling Anvil Studios, a collaborative group of architecture students recruited by Rensselaer Clinical Professor of Architecture and artist Michael Oatman to work with him on a number of art projects that have been exhibited across the country.

As a member of Falling Anvil Studios, Cusker is involved in the entire creative process from the conceptualization phase to the creation of Oatman’s art. According to the artist, as an architecture student Cusker’s knowledge of structures and fabrication are vital assets to his life-sized projects, such as “Conservatory,” a greenhouse constructed from 18,000 glass plate negatives. 

Working with her Falling Anvil counterparts, Cusker helped design and fabricate the greenhouse structure, which has been exhibited at the ZieherSmith Gallery in New York City and the Tang Museum at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 

Most recently Cusker assisted Oatman in the development of a poster designed for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) in New York City to commemorate 100 years of motorized bus service in the city. 

Using photos from the MTA archives, Cusker and Oatman worked to create a poster representative of a gallery wall, featuring framed archive photos. She was then photographed (along with fellow Falling Anvil students) to create silhouettes in the foreground of the poster that appear to be viewing the old photographs while queuing up as if to step through the wall and board an historic bus.

The MTA printed more than 5,000 of the posters, titled “Busman’s Holiday,” which will remain posted in stations and terminals throughout New York City until mid-June.

“The work I have done with Falling Anvil is focused on design, and I think most architecture students are eager to design anything,” Cusker says. “The opportunity to design and construct buildings takes years of education and experience, and I’ve found that artwork can be equally satisfying and in some cases equally challenging. Working with Falling Anvil has given me the opportunity to design pieces and build them full scale – it has been a phenomenal learning experience.” 

Equipped with a portfolio enhanced by the projects she has completed as a member of Falling Anvil Studios, Cusker is seeking a position with an architectural firm in the Northeast. 

Going Global
Ryan Salvas, of Old Saybrook, Conn., spent the 2004 spring semester studying in Rome, Italy, as part of the School of Architecture’s international exchange program. Last fall he drew inspiration from that experience when he successfully competed in the Global House 2005 International Design Competition, held in Lima, Peru. (All fifth-year architecture students at Rensselaer are required to submit designs to selected international competitions). The Global House contest challenged architects to rethink the traditional concept of shelter and define a new class of housing reflective of the social, physical, technological, and aesthetic changes the new global society is facing.

“The idea for my design was built on my experiences in Italy. While studying there I visited Ponte Vecchio – the oldest bridge in Florence, and the only one left in the city where the shops were built into the structure. That sparked a realization that you don’t always have to build on land,” says Salvas. 

Working with a classmate, Salvas saw an opportunity to incorporate housing into the bridges, sign trusses, and on and off ramps associated with highways. His proposal involved using highway sign trusses as a structure for houses that would be suspended over the roadways. He was awarded first place and a prize of $2,000 for his design, titled “56West: Utopia,” which was selected from among more than 250 entries from 44 countries.

Upon graduation Salvas will begin his architectural career at an interdisciplinary architectural design and structural engineering practice in Manhattan. He plans to continue his international travel, and hopes to one day work in London.

The Science of Sound
After obtaining a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in art and design, and a minor in musical performance, Bill Elliot, of New Hartford, N.Y., came to Rensselaer to study acoustics at the graduate level because, according to him, the field brings together several of his interests.

“I’ve played violin, viola, and trumpet for years, and have always had a love of music. I also have an interest in architecture and the design of innovative performance spaces,” says Elliot. “By studying acoustics I am able to find a common ground linking all of my interests. Rensselaer’s architectural acoustics program is one of just a handful in the United States.” 

During his time at Rensselaer, Elliot has been conducting research to model the resistance of air flow in acoustical materials. This knowledge will aid in the prediction of how well the materials will absorb sound energy, allowing acousticians to determine how and where the materials are used. 

Elliot is working toward a Ph.D. in acoustics, and in the “why not change the world?” tradition of Rensselaer, his goal is to “make a unique contribution that will advance the field.” 

“The architecture of a space is immediately appreciable by visual inspection. The acoustics of a space are often much more subtle, and not always consciously noticed,” says Elliot. “My goal is to someday design spaces in which the acoustics are instrumental in creating memorable experiences, and to understand how the acoustics of a space may be ‘tuned’ to maximize the function of a given architectural environment.” 

Learning From the Past
Architecture students and others in the Rensselaer community had the opportunity to hear from nearly a dozen prominent Rensselaer alumni who participated in a spring lecture series in celebration of the School of Architecture’s 75th Anniversary. Speakers included: James Bradburn ’66, Steven Erlich ’68, and Martha Merzig ’02.  (The full list of alumni speakers can be viewed at: http://www.arch.rpi.edu/news_events.htm).

Contact: Amber Cleveland
Phone: (518) 276-2146
E-mail: clevea@rpi.edu