Facilities
So why does Duncan Hall look like that? What does it all really mean?
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Rice's primary goal for the Computational Engineering Building was
to bring together a diverse group of people, all focused on applying computation to problems in engineering, and to allow them to collaborate. In this context, the problem of building design became one of using bricks, mortar, concrete and wallboard to foster a sense of community and to imbue the building with a sense of energy and of purpose.
Rice turned to John Outram, a British philosopher-architect known for his
provocative use of interior and exterior decoration. Outram believes in an
architecture of ideas and themes. He uses these themes to create thought-
provoking interiors. He believes that buildings and their inhabitants interact
in fundamental and subconscious ways. Thus, the design tries to encourage
interaction across academic disciplines. It contains private spaces for concentration and public spaces for collaboration. It has laboratories and classrooms for education and auditoriums for presentation. Its interior vistas catch the eye and its exterior accents harmonize with the campus.
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The title of the ceiling mural, “The Birth of Consciousness,” aptly conveys its message. It is a depiction of the birth of consciousness … as envisioned in the mind of Outram.
For everything you ever wanted to know about Duncan Hall, but were afraid to ask, visit the "unofficial" website. |
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Rice.edu offers a virtual tour of Duncan Hall, as well as fifteen other places on or near campus.
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