Ashley Takacs | Sensible sustainabilty

As an architecture major, I get pangs of jealousy every time I hear that the architect du jour is building some shiny new super building on someone else's campus. Whether it's Frank Gehry at MIT, Renzo Piano at Columbia or Norman Foster at Stanford, it's tough not to be envious when Penn's last superstar designer was Lou Kahn back in the 50s.

Yet, every time I walk down Locust, I'm reminded that when it comes to campus character, ivy-covered brick trumps glass curtain walls any day. After all, it was the soaring towers in Fisher-Hassenfeld and the mossy stone of College Hall that captured my imagination as a prospective student - not Hill College House, even though it was designed by noted Danish-American architect Eero Saarinen.

Luckily, the administration seems to understand this fact and has dedicated much of its resources to maintaining Penn's historic character. Penn has a long tradition of reusing existing buildings and adapting them to the campus' needs. While this philosophy doesn't make headlines (or raise eyebrows for that matter), it is smart, and most importantly, well-built, durable buildings are Penn's most sustainable tradition. It's also one that, as we now strive to make everything eco-friendly, is easy to both practice and preach.

Tradition and sustainability usually aren't part of the same discussion, but in Penn's case, they intertwine wonderfully. Here, sustainability requires not only looking at present and future needs, but also drawing upon the lessons and resources of the past. Adaptive Reuse of buildings is now an important part of the sustainability movement. It is especially important on our city campus, where the dense weave of the urban fabric does not readily allow for sprawl.

This year, the University celebrated the 10th anniversary of the restoration of Cohen Hall. Its renovation was completed long before such efforts were connected to green initiatives, but is an excellent example of how we can best sustain our environment: by disturbing it as little as possible.

Adaptive reuse works because it generates less rubble in our landfills, minimizes the carbon footprint created during construction and doesn't require displacing earth to place new utility systems. Other examples of adaptive reuse on Penn's Campus include the Moore Building, which was initially the Pepper Musical Instrument Factory, and Meyerson Hall, which was once the Institute of Contemporary Art. And don't forget Locust Walk, whose traditional brick mansions were converted into campus hubs and has become the heart of the campus in just a few short years.

For today's holiday, Penn environmentalists are no doubt planning their next stunt to shock students into green awareness (I'm betting on another trash mountain in some inconvenient locale), our campus planners are looking to recycle in a more meaningful way. One current project calls for the expansion and renovation of the school's Music Building, a century-old structure on 34th Street. Though completely ill-suited for listening to instruments and recorded music, the building has served as the core of the music department since the 1950s. And rather than demolishing the Italianate landmark, designers have reorganized it to better suit the needs of the program, and are building a modern addition that, instead of competing with the old building, will harmonize with it. The three-story terra cotta-clad addition will contain the most acoustically critical spaces of the department, including classrooms, faculty offices, practice rooms and recording studios. The existing Music Building will be renovated to house administrative and faculty offices and core building services. The project promotes sustainability and energy conservation in its design, and it is targeting LEED Silver certification. What more can an environmentalist ask for?

Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Rebecca Bushnell likens the renovation to "taking an ugly duckling and turning it into a swan." And while I wouldn't call a century-old structure by Cope and Stewardson an ugly duck - even in its most dilapidated condition - I appreciate that Penn is invested in making the most of its architectural heritage.

So, MIT can keep Frank Gehry, I'll take Frank Furness, designer of Fisher Fine Arts, any day.

Ashley Takacs is a College junior from Buffalo, N.Y. She is the Graphics Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Ash Wednesday appears on Wednesdays. Her email address is takacs@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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