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Students in Gaylord Richardson's third year studio know well the problems of overcrowding in Marvin Hall. Many critique sessions must be held in the hallways, where they compete with students switching classes.
Marvin Hall:
In a school where students try to resolve the problems of adequate living and working space, working conditions and social justice.
Marvin Hall, home of the University of Kan-
selon and Urban Design, is overseen by
students with students.
"The problem is acute," Charles Kahn, dean of the School of Architecture and Urban Design, said recently. "Given the number of undergraduate students we have now, we're 10,000 square feet short of adequately housing them. That's just for design studio space and doesn't include lecture, shop, photo studio or exhibition space. There is no space for graduate students."
The average square footage for each architecture student at KU is 46.69. The average design space for each student for professional schools in North America is 60.6 square feet.
THE REGENTS proposed $40,000 for preliminary funding plans for the renovation of Marvin Hall for fiscal 1978, but after severe cuts made recently by James Bibb, state budget officials, they decided to use the planning funds for the renovation of Marvin Hall weren't included in the new priority list.
In their request for preliminary planning test the Negents noted that the Krueger Report.
November 1971 had listed Marvin Hall as needing extensive remodeling. The major inadequacies were non-conformance to fire and life safety codes, obsolete heating and electrical systems, and total inaccessibility to handicapped persons.
The Regents also emphasized that there wasn't enough space to accommodate the number of undergraduate and graduate students who wished to study architecture and urban design. They noted that the inefficient arrangement of space precluded efficient use of the building.
THE REGENTS supported remodeling rather than construction of a new building because Marvin Hill is structurally sound and because it has an excellent campus location. The remodeling was also feasible to remodel the building at about three-fourths the cost of building a new building.
But Kahn said that even with remodeling and more efficient use of space in Marvin, there still wouldn't be enough space and an addition would be necessary.
Marvin has 35,000 square feet but the school needs 65,000 square feet, he said.
In 1975, a proposal to remodel Marvin and build a new addition was drafted by professors in
Architecture students are known for their all-nighters yet little space is set aside for a lounge to make their life easier.
a question of priorities
the school. This request was not forwarded to the Kansas Legislature, according to Allan Weichert, University architect for facilities planning, so the plan was reduced to remodeling. The $40,000 requested this year was to hire an architect to develop plans for remodeling.
EVEN IF THE preliminary planning funds had been approved by the legislature for fiscal 1978, it would have been several years before actual remodeling would have taken place.
Weichert speculated that remodeling plans would be dealt with again this year and would go through the same channels. However, because of the increased cost of construction next year, the cost of construction and remodeling would have to escalate. Weichert said, although he had no figures to indicate how much
LOUIS KRUEGER, state director of the division of architectural services, was a private consultant when he made the report on buildings in the Regents system. He said it wasn't unusual for old buildings such as Marvin, constructed in 1970, to not comply with fire and life safety codes.
Weichert said that because the planning funds wouldn't be approved by the legislature, "piecemeal" repairs of under $50,000 could be paid out of the campus repairs and improvements budget Weichert said periodic remodeling, such as the removal or installation of walls, or windows, or rooftops and roofs, had been paid for through the repairs and improvements budgets.
Kruger said that the code wasn't retractive and that there were many buildings throughout the city.
Kruger said that he hadn't found any legends buildings where the hazard was so great that he could not even walk.
Marvin's inaccessibility to the handicapped, he said, violates laws that require that buildings in which state funds are used be accessible to the elderly. Such laws also aren't retroactive for older buildings.
Paul Markley, state fire protection technical adviser, said he understood that the school has been working on plans for the complete remodeling of Marvin Hill to meet the codes, but right now the matter hinges on whether the legislature will come up with the money.
MARKLEY SAID the state fire marshal's report on Marvin said that the major violations were improper exiting facilities (unapproved fire escapes), open stairwells, and a lack of a fire alarm system. The report also said the building's fire alarm systems were too many extension cords in the outlets.
Markley said that Floyd Dibburn, state fire marshal, would press to get all of KIRU buildings
"He doesn't want to make inspections every year and find the deficiencies he did the year before."
Markley said that if the legislature wouldn't give the money this year, KU would have to make plans soon to budget the money for the improvements.
"WE CAN'T GO on forever like this. The fire marshal is doing everything in his power to prevent it."
Bare wires and poor wiring are a common sight in Marvius' studio rooms and a potential hazard.
Keith Lawton, director of facilities planning, said the Krueger Report's finding that Marvin Hall was obese wasn't necessarily a recommendation for staff to take action that it needed considerable remodeling.
Lawton said an advantage of remodeling Marvin rather than building a new building was that it allowed him to fine arts and visual arts facilities. Lawton said that affinity zones were considered in long-range planning to locate similar academic disciplines near each other for multiple use of laboratories
Lawton said Marvin's location was a determining factor in the location of locations of Murphy Hall and the visual arts building. He said the building had been built with hardwood, lavender and rehabilitation, rather than torn down.
Story by Dayna Heidrich Photos by Jay Koelzer