EDUCATIONAL

Aurora University Master Plan

Aurora, Illinois

Cordogan, Clark and Associates was commissioned by Aurora University to design the Master Plan for its campus. The Master Plan incorporates new and projected buildings, parking, and site amenities. The new Master Plan is designed to preserve and enhance the positive features of the existing campus while bringing it new energy.

In the late 1980s, CCA designed the new Dunham Hall building. We have since designed a number of campus projects including new dormitories, Student Activity Centers, Perry Theater, parking facilities, the new University Library, and the remodeled football field. The Institute for Collaboration is among the first buildings built under the new Master Plan.

In preparing the Master Plan, we worked with the University President and key officials to shape external as well as internal spaces to create a meaningful and memorable sense of place for this suburban campus. The original campus architecture was built in the "Richardsonian Romanesque" architectural style. This late-nineteenth century style was a widespread and adaptable design vocabulary through which architects of the period were able to address multiple building tasks. It was a successful mode of design that addressed pragmatic requirements for fire-resistive construction and applied to a wide array of building types. It also provided an aesthetic system that conveyed stability, soundness, and strength. This design vocabulary was used for key academic buildings throughout the United States, one of which is Harvard University's Sever Hall. This design is seen as the direct precursor of and influence on Sullivan and Wright, providing the groundwork for the development of the Prairie Style.

During the course of the mid-twentieth century, the design vocabulary progressively eroded on the AU campus, and these Mid-century campus buildings had lost most of the original architectural character. We worked to correct this in our design for Dunham Hall by building in the spirit of the original campus design vocabulary. Using true load bearing masonry construct- ion, masonry arches, cast limestone detailing, and true tile-clad pitched roof construction, Dunham Hall once again imbues the campus with an architectural authenticity and integrity.