The School of Architecture continues, in the 2002 Fall Quarter, to be one of the four largest academic units in the College of Liberal Arts with an undergraduate headcount of 278 majors between its two academic programs. The architecture program begins the academic year of 2002-2003 with an undergraduate headcount of 198 majors, and the interior design program began with an undergraduate headcount of 80 majors. The total undergraduate headcount for the School of Architecture is 89% of the School’s capacity of 306 majors, and is down from last Fall’s 97% of capacity.

The decline is attributable to a strengthening of the selective admission criteria the School of Architecture uses to admit first-time freshmen, readmit students, transfer students and change-of-major students to its programs. The result is a smaller number of first-time freshmen in the entering class of the School of Architecture, but a better academically prepared class. First-time freshmen in the entering class numbered 42 architecture majors down from last year’s 56 majors, and 21 interior design majors which is up from last year’s 14 majors in the entering class. Although smaller in total number than last year’s entering class the ACT composite average suggests that it is academically well prepared with ACT composite averages of 24.2 for architecture majors and 23.1for interior design majors, both of which are above the ACT composite average of 22.8 for the first-time freshmen of the entire College of Liberal Arts.

The smaller number of first-time freshmen in the entering class of the School of Architecture has been offset this year by an increase in the number of transfer students and change-of-major students who have entered the program at the first year of the Foundation Level. Last year, the number of these students in the entering class was 38 students while this year the number is 47 students.
Michael Blake, Becky Carson, Billisha Johnson, Jay Langham, Ben Rath and Ray Zabala are producing measured drawings of the Hotel Palomar Courts (presently known as the Palomar Motel) in Shreveport, Louisiana as the class project for Arch 403 under the direction of Guy Carwile, Associate Professor. The Palomar was constructed ca. 1938-1939 and is one of the few tourist courts extant in Louisiana and the only example employing Art Moderne imagery. The Palomar is part of a small yet significant group of early modern structures built in Louisiana between 1930 and 1940.

When complete, the drawings and support materials will be submitted to the Library of Congress archive of HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey) drawings after competing for the 2003 Charles E. Peterson Prize next summer.

The documentary effort is being partially funded by a federal grant administered through the State of Louisiana, Office of Cultural Development, Division of Historic Preservation in Baton Rouge.
The FIDER Accreditation visit was an event that brought the faculty, students, advisory council and alumni together last fall for an excellent exhibition of student work. The FIDER team highly praised the work reviewed in the Interior Design Program, and the positive support from the advisory council and alumni. Kayem Dunn, FIDER Executive Director, recently notified President Dan Reneau that the Interior Design Program was awarded a six year Accreditation.
Computer networking is arriving in the Interior Design Junior and Senior studios during the fall quarter. Each student will have desk access to the Internet and all information provided by the SOA on various servers.
It's finally about to happen!  Construction on the new headquarters  for the School of Architecture is about to begin.  Starting in November Triad Builders of Ruston will be removing the
'old' Hale Hall in preparation for the construction of the new Hale Hall. Construction is expected to take approximately 450 days once work is begun. Arris will document the process and keep you up to date.
Things are really 'smokin' here in the SOA.  Because of evolving objectives in all of our design studios the school has needed a dedicated place where architecture students could work on large scale projects and complex architectural models.  Construction will begin in the Winter Quarter on a 3000 square foot shop facility constructed adjacent to the Art and Architecture Shop Annex.  The shop will be used exclusively by architecture students and will include a model making tool area and a large open work space  with access to the wood working and welding equipment in the Shop Annex.



Kevin Stevens and Lisa Mullikin of Mullikin + Stevens Architecture in San Francisco have recently joined the faculty at Tech. Kevin has been working on institutional and commercial projects in the California Bay Area, while Lisa has been focusing on historic restoration and sustainable design.
 

Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc. is pleased to announce that Mr. Tracy Bassett, AIA has been named a Vice President in the Architecture Division of the Montgomery office. Mr. Bassett is a 1981 graduate of El Dorado High School and a 1986 graduate of Louisiana Tech University. He joined the firm in 1987 and has served as Project Manager and Studio Manager. Mr. Bassett was recently named one of Montgomery's Top 40 Under 40 by the Montgomery Advertiser.
Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc. is a multi-disciplined firm that provides all professional services associated with architecture, engineering, landscape architecture, surveying, and planning. The company is headquartered in Montgomery with additional offices in Birmingham and Mobile. http://www.gmcnetwork.com/