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College of Design

Sunday, July 21, 2013

William R. King

University of Minnesota - BED '79

What was the most important thing/skill/concept you learned at the School of Architecture?
Organizing a problem and then solving it.

Who made the most lasting impression (most influenced you) and why?
One
of the more cryptic professors made a disparaging
comment on the entire discipline of landscape architecture to which he
mentioned that a lot of bad architecture gets covered with nice plant
material and now we're doing green roofs, living walls, etc. - too funny. Also,
I think James Stageberg mentioned that attending the School of
Architecture will be "the hardest you will ever work in your life, so
know that when you leave" - totally true!

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?
Getting
accepted...and then graduating. I did enjoy my time at the School of
Architecture and it was a great education - no question. It cost me a
grand total of $4,500 for four years plus beer, books, and materials. I
paid for it working 3 part-time jobs and lived low on the West Bank in
my own apartment. Might still be possible if the tuition's only about
$15,000 per year for in-state residents.

Please identify one (or more) memorable design project that you worked on while a student at the School of Architecture.
Class group design competitions - still friends to this day with some.

What
major forces (such as individual architects, design philosophies,
rendering styles, research methods, etc.) do you remember influencing
you significantly as a student?

Nothing special in particular
except my night class architectural drafting instructor named Alex, the
"fastest hand in the West." I learned everything about craft from him
and it has served me well all these years. Computers can only mimic what I can draw by hand, just a lot faster.

Cite an example (be specific) that illustrates how you used the
education you received at the School of Architecture to positively
impact (or better) your community, city, nation or the world.

Environmental impact learning in my time emphasized "life cycle" cost when measuring the merits of one item over another. The fact that a Chevy Suburban is more "environmentally correct" than a Prius is irrelevant today which is really too bad. We had eliminated "heavy metals" from the homes we lived in and now they're back. I single-handedly stopped the creation of another "Landmark District" application for the small Connecticut town I live in just days before the vote was taken. I taught my little daughter that land ownership rights are worth fighting for and your neighbors aren't as dumb as you think they are once they get the details. Vote went from "done deal" to overwhelmingly against. Sweet!



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