In modern times, heritage matters
- Written by jlockwood
- Posted on October 19, 2011.
- Filed under Architecture Design
- Tagged as academic building, gustavus adolphus college, heritage, scandinavian, lutheran, social sciences, collaboration, student engagement, higher education, college facility, atrium.
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It was a celebration of 150 years of academic excellence, Lutheran values, and Scandinavian tradition.
And it was in a new academic center, the first on the college campus in 20 years.
The Warren and Donna Beck Academic Center at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., played host recently to the college’s sesquicentennial activities during its homecoming. The facility is everything that an academic facility at a highly respected liberal arts college should be: an asset to the campus, an inspiration for teaching and learning, a showcase gallery of the college’s creativity and talent, a symbol of the strength of the Gustie community both young and old, and a demonstration of the importance of stewardship.
It is also an expression of the honesty, simplicity, and quality that defines the Scandinavian heritage of the college rooted in Lutheran principles.
In an age defined by technological advances, it is easy to be tempted by the attraction of technology to engage people in academia, especially in a facility where labs encourage research and examination.
To design with simplicity and restraint, though, allows space to open people’s minds to creativity, collaboration, and exploration. Rather than letting the space define us and our actions with the tools of the moment, the students and teachers are free to define the space as their needs evolve, lending a timeless quality to academic study.
For a college celebrating its 150th anniversary, giving respect to its past is important. Finding inspiration in its heritage to chart its future, though, is what will motivate the Gustie community to – in the college’s words – make their lives count.