Forming a Distinct Identity: How Brutalism Shaped American Architecture Education
Briefly

By the mid-nineteenth century, architecture became a formal discipline separate from civil engineering, defined by technical skills and cultural significance. The post-World War II era saw an expansion in American higher education, necessitating new architectural facilities and prompting schools to increase their visibility. Brutalism, with its raw concrete and bold forms, emerged during this time as a means for architecture to assert independence and engage critically, differentiating itself from the aesthetics of engineering-focused designs.
By the mid-nineteenth century, architecture in American universities began to emerge as a distinct discipline characterized by technical competence, conceptual inquiry, and spatial imagination.
The post-World War II expansion of American higher education required new academic facilities, prompting architecture schools to seek greater visibility and presence.
Brutalism became the preferred architectural style, utilizing exposed concrete surfaces and structural clarity to assert design autonomy and engage critically with institutional growth.
The material choices of Brutalism provided a counterpoint to engineering aesthetics, indicating a commitment to design as a form of critical engagement in architecture.
Read at ArchDaily
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