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Alex Anderson, a professor of architecture at the University of Washington, admires the atrium of Gould Hall, where he has worked for 20 years. Anderson defended the Fauvist architecture, and the University of Washington notebook asked him what he thought of the Fauvist architecture on the University of Washington campus. Dennis Wise

Earlier this year, Alex Anderson, an associate professor of architecture at the University of Washington, published an article in Harvard Design News discussing a course there called "Reshaping the Exile."

The "wanderer" in question is a "fauvist" architectural style that developed from the modernist movement in the 1950s. You might understand them visually-as we all know, Fauvism buildings are heavy on concrete, present geometric shapes or blocks, and dominate their physical sites.

The School of Built Environment is linked to Anderson's article, titled "A Defense of Brutalism." UW Notebook couldn't help but ask some questions about the example of brutalist architecture on campus. Anderson first considered Condonhall, but it was obvious that Gould Hall, where he had worked for 20 years, was more popular.

You defended the Fauvist architecture, but some campus residents have quietly hated these daunting buildings for generations...

Actually, it's not always so quiet! Condonhall in particular has received a lot of criticism. In 1994, Lily Eng published an article in the Seattle Times titled "The University of Washington Loves and Hate Architecture", calling it "a strong competitor for the ugliest building of the University of Washington". She said it “looks like a county jail” and quoted the dean of the law school who did not like its “Stalinist architecture”. Later, Sheri Olsen called it "bunker style" in Post-Intelligencer.

This kind of comparative criticism is very common in Fauvist architecture. People quickly dismissed them because of the related images (prisons, bunkers, communist houses) they had associated with them. One reason architects don’t like these buildings is that they are trained to look closer-Fauvist buildings usually reward careful observation with interesting insights.

Initially, the brutalist architect wanted to develop a modernist concept of "authenticity" in architecture. This means less hidden services (pipes, plumbing systems, wires), and active attempts to reveal how buildings are built. Concrete has become the most popular material because it can show the construction process in the pattern of the formwork. It can also be used as a fire-resistant structure, and does not need to be covered with fire-resistant materials or paint.

The Department of Architecture occupied Congdon for a while during the renovation of the building hall around 2008. Most of us like this building for many reasons. First of all, the concrete work is very precise-smooth, straight edges and well-arranged connection holes. It is clear which parts of the building are structural and non-structural. The building also does a good job in positioning the internal space. Offices have excellent views, but concrete sun visors can protect them from excessive glare. The large space on the north side, which we used as a studio, is very light.

It does stand actively on its website and has some weird plans, but the details are really worth seeing! 

You call Gouldhall a good example of brutalism. What makes it so?  

The concrete of Gould Hall is very different from the concrete of Condon. Gould's concrete is warmer in color and denser in texture. Like other Fauvist buildings, it shows evidence of architecture. For example, in the stairwell, you can see the tiny details of the plywood used to form the walls. Because the concrete is a bit rough, some aggregate will show up, especially on the outside, providing a variety of textures and capturing light in interesting ways.

Gould Hall School of Built Environment

The huge concrete structure frame opens up a huge atrium inside, and stairs meander through it. This surprising aspect of Gould makes this building particularly attractive. Although it may look heavy from the outside, even "like a bunker," its interior is bright and towering. The large horizontal span opens up views to studios and departmental offices, and you can get a lively sense of cooperation from anywhere in Gould Court.

Use wood wisely on the armrests. The armrests are wide enough to lean against the display board, warming the space. Although classrooms and offices work well, Gould's bright, open public spaces make it a particularly good place to work.

Although this is a small detail, there is a spot in the dim basement where a window cuts through the concrete wall and leads to a huge air handling system. This makes it rare for us to see how great the service is for a building of Gould's size. This is a typical Fauvist move, especially useful in architecture schools. 

Gould is a good example of Fauvist architecture. It has pleasant, bright internal public spaces that are open to every floor of the building. Natural light poured down from above, and people were everywhere.

What do you think of Schmitz Hall? This is another example of brutalism, considered boring and institutionalized by many. 

Schmitz Hall is one of those buildings that gave brutalism a bad reputation. Its external cantilever level may be to give it some drama, but its insistence on these cantilevers and their lack of diversity makes the building feel depressing.

The yellowish color of the concrete and the excessive regularity of the vertical pattern on the concrete do not help to eliminate this impression. Unlike Gould, the inner atrium did not bring many surprises. It is too small for the size of the building and the number of steps required to reach it.

In addition, hardly any daylight enters the space, so it feels dim and heavy. From the atrium, the room seems to be continuing. The wooden ceilings and patterned concrete walls have some interesting details, but they are not enough to eliminate the oppressive sense of weight in the building.

Where is Kane Hall? Not so rough but just plain?  

People always ask me about Kane Hall. One thing to note is that its south side has the same rhythm as the Suzzallo Library, although it uses very different materials. Its huge concrete piers are cumbersome, but it does help shape and inspire the vitality of the Red Square more than the Gerberding Hall on the other side of the square. Its pier also captures southern light in an interesting way.

Kane's internal lobby has very high ceilings, warm brick walls and wooden decorations. It is extremely bright and can cope with the noise of hundreds of students talking between classes. The auditorium hides services behind wall panels and suspended ceilings like many other buildings. So Kane is not a pure brutalist, but the huge concrete facade makes it a part of the family.

When defenders of brutalism see the splendor of the reading room of the Suzaro Library, will they complain and say "rubbish-pure Gothic grandstanding!"? 

I often bring visitors into Suzalo's reading room and let them in and take a look. This is such a magnificent university space, almost a typical learning place. It is not surprising that people like it.

However, I did point out some of its structural skills, which any fan of brutalism will not ignore. First, the external buttresses facing the Red Square are too small for the work they claim to do. Compare them with the huge flying buttresses on "real" Gothic buildings such as Notre Dame Cathedral, and you will see this. Suzzallo is a steel framed building, disguised as something else.

In one place in Suzalo, on the ceiling of the vestibule next to the reading room, the mask came off in a pleasant way. The steel mesh above (new in the 1990s) is designed to transmit and transmit horizontal seismic loads to the stacked structural frame, and from there to the foundation of the huge 300-foot bell tower that has never been built.

I like buildings that give up interesting information through simple forensic work. This is exactly what Brutalist architecture tends to do.

For more information, please contact Alex Anderson at ata@uw.edu.

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