Most of the oldest buildings on Ohio University’s campus were built in Georgian-style architecture, featuring grand brick exteriors with numerous windows and hipped roofs. Endearingly dubbed the “Harvard on the Hocking,” OU’s architectural style replicated the timeless charm and prestigiousness of Ivy League schools in the northeast, specifically Harvard University.
The Ivy League reminiscence is not accidental. OU’s co-founder, Manasseh Cutler, attended Yale College. Jacob Lindley, OU’s first professor and first president, attended Princeton University. John Calhoun Baker, OU’s fourteenth president, received his MBA from Harvard University’s Business School, where he later served in administrative roles. The instrumental figures in the university’s history fully intended to replicate the beauty and prestige to enhance the attractiveness of OU to students and alumni.
Yet, more recent campus developments, such as the Chemistry Building, the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine and even Alden Library, show a shift to a modern, dystopian facade. By adopting this new style, OU’s timeless beauty has begun to flicker. The inconsistency of architecture may be to the detriment of the student experience and future admissions. However, design renderings for the new Housing Master Plan show it may be possible to balance timeless charm and modernization.
On April 5, the Board of Trustees approved the $110.5 million plan for the Housing Master Plan, featuring a 591-bed, five-story living facility on South Green. Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony celebrates the construction projected to happen until completion in May 2026. The facility will attempt to meet the capacity demands of admissions while fostering student connection. The plan also shows that OU may have finally balanced modern architecture with classic architecture.
The renderings show four Georgian-style dorms connected via walkways. These buildings exhibit the beauty of OU’s oldest, most iconic buildings. Yet, the two buildings paralleling Brown Hall each feature additions that share similarities to the modernized buildings.
Though OU may have struck a balance between architectural exterior facades, I have concerns OU will continue to lose cultural beauty through architectural expansion. The true beauty of OU is the student experience and connection to nature, and the university’s expansion — demanded by recent growth — tampers with that.
For example, OU unveiled its new Paw Print Park in October 2022. According to OU’s website, the park sports “two giant Bobcat paw prints – one designated as a hammock space with sunshades and metal poles that can accommodate as many as 56 hammocks, the other available for student gatherings and events.”
The premise was attractive, but I met it with dismay. OU is nestled in the scenery of Athens, Ohio, and the students’ love for nature shines through campus hotspots like College Green. How could concrete and sunshades ever replace the trunks and canopies of trees?
Based on the renderings, students’ favorite features of South Green may fall victim to the same concrete compromise of expansion. For example, the volleyball and basketball courts, the sites of core memory-making for students, may be vulnerable to becoming walkways and swathes of grass in the coming years as the university expands South Green.
As the university continues to welcome new Bobcats to campus, officials must also consider how the campus itself will impact the students’ experiences. Architectural style may influence how we weave the cultural fabric of campus. The Georgian style fits gently against the backdrop of Athens, while the modernized style is juxtaposed. How the university implements architecture during expansion may have a far greater impact on students than aesthetics.
Taylor Orcutt is a sophomore studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Taylor know by tweeting her @TaylorOrcutt.
