Last updated: May 16, 2024
Place
Indiana University
Olmsted Archives
Quick Facts
Location:
Bloomington, IN
Significance:
Olmsted Designed School
MANAGED BY:
Starting in 1929, Indiana University hired Olmsted Brothers to help in the planning and development of their campus. Working at the University for a total of seven years, Olmsted Brothers developed 161 plans for the campus.
In a June 1936 letter to Indiana University’s Board of Trustees, Olmsted Brothers sent photographs of two models done for schools, one for Phillips Andover Academy, the other for Phillips Exeter Academy. Olmsted Brothers believed the University could seriously benefit from studying the model, particularly regarding the future development of the campus.
Olmsted Brothers wanted the University’s trustees to understand how much easier it would be to experiment with models when deciding sites for new buildings, specifically its size, form, and character. Models allowed everyone to visualize the problem, leading to conclusions with clearer understanding.
After having already placed some buildings on campus, Olmsted Brothers noted that had a model been available, they likely would have chosen a different site, one less crowded. Olmsted Brothers also encouraged the University to place a potential model in a highly trafficked part of campus, so people would frequently see it, and get enthusiastic about the new design.
Though Olmsted Brothers warned Indiana University that purchasing a model may seem like a large expenditure, one could reasonably call it insurance for the development of a well-organized and efficient plan.
For references and more resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Flickr
Olmsted Online
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Indiana University
In a June 1936 letter to Indiana University’s Board of Trustees, Olmsted Brothers sent photographs of two models done for schools, one for Phillips Andover Academy, the other for Phillips Exeter Academy. Olmsted Brothers believed the University could seriously benefit from studying the model, particularly regarding the future development of the campus.
Olmsted Brothers wanted the University’s trustees to understand how much easier it would be to experiment with models when deciding sites for new buildings, specifically its size, form, and character. Models allowed everyone to visualize the problem, leading to conclusions with clearer understanding.
After having already placed some buildings on campus, Olmsted Brothers noted that had a model been available, they likely would have chosen a different site, one less crowded. Olmsted Brothers also encouraged the University to place a potential model in a highly trafficked part of campus, so people would frequently see it, and get enthusiastic about the new design.
Though Olmsted Brothers warned Indiana University that purchasing a model may seem like a large expenditure, one could reasonably call it insurance for the development of a well-organized and efficient plan.
For references and more resources, please visit:
Olmsted Research Guide Online
Flickr
Olmsted Online
The Cultural Landscape Foundation
Indiana University