Fletcher Hall Renovations

[CAJUNryan4]

I am almost positive that was remodeled about 4 or 5 years ago.

You are correct. I want to say it was started in my 2nd year in fall of 2009. Took about a year, I believe. I know one of my spring '10 classes was displaced because of it.

[LaCajunsFan]

Well, when I started out in architecture waaaaaay back in the fall of 1977, Fletcher had just opened the year before. I also had LOTS of classes in Girard, and it also renovated around that time. And yes, it was just recently renovated AGAIN.....which just underscores how very old I am, lol.
You also correct about the age of the buildings: I think DeClouet and Foster are slightly older, but Girard is also one of the oldest buildings on campus. And it looks GREAT after the reno, and the removal of the pine trees, the additition of the Steven's statue and the other landscaping that was included. I just hope they do something for DeClouet and Foster, as they are both really showing their age. Although I think DeClouet has just had it's windows replaced.

[Turbine]

It seems to me that this is one of the newer buildings on campus. I remember going to class in Guiraud Hall on the corner of University and Johnston and it was really really old. Flethcher Hall wasn't even built yet. Have they remodeled Guiraud yet?

Yes it was one of the first things T-Joe did when he took over.

I remember being so excited when he installed RED entry roofs. My attention then shifted to the,IPF and wishing Authement would have listened.

I thought about that again yesterday when a poster joked (I think) that he had never seen UL's indoor practice facility.

[HelmutVII]

It seems to me that this is one of the newer buildings on campus. I remember going to class in Guiraud Hall on the corner of University and Johnston and it was really really old. Flethcher Hall wasn't even built yet. Have they remodeled Guiraud yet?

Guirard Hall was being renovated about the time of the renovation of the Softball field. Both projects took a very long time to do. Guirard Hall was done by M D Descant and they did a very good job. They basically gutted the entire inside of the building and brought it up to code. They also cut down all of the tall pine trees adjacent to the building. It looks much better now.

Fletcher Hall has been a nightmare from day one as they had to "Value Engineer" the original building to get it into budget. It looks like they are taking care of all the problems with this renovation project.

[Turbine]

I love the design of the new parking garage.

I also like Fletcher Hall, I just wish the architectural redesigners of the facade had consulted with the garage designers.

Instead of the disparate designs I would have loved a shared space look leaning towards the parking garage architecture.

[locoguano]

Meanwhile, Maxim Doucet still has chalkboards...

[CajunEXPRESS]

I love chalkboards, some things cannot be improved with technology.

[USL1970]

I love the design of the new parking garage.

I also like Fletcher Hall, I just wish the architectural redesigners of the facade had consulted with the garage designers.

Instead of the disparate designs I would have loved a shared space look leaning towards the parking garage architecture.

Initially, Fletcher Hall was re-designed to look like the parking garage, and it looked horrendous with the patched work of red brick. It looked sort of like a gymnasium or Blackham.

A movement was started to "Save Fletcher Hall," the results that we are seeing now are a testament to the protesters that did not want Fletcher Hall to "blend in," but to be renovated closer to its original design.

I believe the new Fletcher Hall will be viewed differently than in the past with all the new improvements. I can remember at the turn of the century (2000) when I toured the campus and went by Fletcher Hall. It was an embarrassment. The trash cans outside the courtyard were overflowing and you had to tip toe around Dr. Pepper bottles and fast food wrappers for access into the building. The building was so bad that the inhabitants did not even respect the structure.

I do think you are right in that the garage and Fletcher Hall could have blended better together.

[LaCajunsFan]

And here is a rendering of the first proposal....the one that was done to 'blend in' with the other buildings. I guess it would be possible, but IMHO highly unlikely, that there could have been an uglier way to do the renovation. Thankfully, we will never know, lol.
I can't decide if it looks more like a prison or a gymnasium.....guess a prison-gym would be the best description.

[Turbine]

Hmm, I see the prison, but I don't see the blending.

I don't see it looking anything like the garage with its subtle arches or any buildings further away.

Glad they didn't go in that direction.

[Fais do-do]

Drawings in 2013

[LaCajunsFan]

And some more interesting (at least I think so) info about Fletcher:

The type of architecture is called "Brutalist".....not because of it's looks, but because of the French word for 'raw concrete.'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalist_architecture

Anyway, the architects were Barras+Breaux of Lafayette, and if I don't say so myself, they seem to have 'borrowed' very heavily from a work of IM Pei....specifically a museum in New York.
But take a look at the museum for yourself, and see if you agree that there are a lot of "similarities" between the two.