A Building That Teaches

The integration of form and structure is implicit in the earliest known definition of architecture — Vitruvius’ ideal of “firmness, commodity, and delight.” The design of Clemson University’s newest addition to their School of Architecture, Lee Hall III, is a case study in the contemporary application of this ageless idea in a space that aspires to instruct its design-oriented occupants every day.? The 55,000-square-foot glass and masonry-clad structure encourages informal learning through observation of its energy efficient design and exposed functional and structural systems.