Resilience - University of Miami School of Architecture

one campus. A two level south wing was built first in 1957. A third level and
a two level east wing were completed in 1957. In 1965 the three level North
Grosvenor was completed (Yehle). The north wing was designed for an addional
two levels. Built with a combinaon of reinforced concrete and stuccoed
concrete block, the south and east wings have ground levels at grade.
Only the north wing is slightly elevated. The style of the three secons is fairly
consistent with horizontal banding, horizontal windows, and simple overhanging
concrete plates marking the entries (figure 5).
In contrast to the Manley design, the Grovesnor buildings seem to take lile
cue from their tropical waterfront locaon. South Grosvenor has some southfacing
windows, but the other two structures face an internal courtyard used
primarily for outdoor storage of research equipment. Double loaded corridors
mean that workspaces have light only on one side, and lile cross-venlaon.
Low floor-to-floor heights emphasized the horizontality of the structure, but
limited space for horizontal distribuon of ulies and for convecve cooling
in a hot climate. Had they been built, the upper levels of North Grosvenor
would have had beer potenal to gain views and breeze from the Bay.
6. Grosvenor East entry, Yehle
4. Founder Walton Smith on tractor, Yehle
5. Rendering of Grosvenor South and East, Yehle
The formal entrance of the complex is on the East side, and was originally visible
from the Rickenbacker causeway (figures 6-8). Street frontage took precedence
over connecon to the site. This core complex was completed with
the construcon of Glassell in 1966. With an open ground level, two levels of
labs, plus rooop salt-water seling tanks, the bar building created a vercal
element perpendicular to the original low-slung waterfront labs (figure 9). The
upper levels were marked by an extended concrete frame. The south eleva-
on facing the water had no windows, relying on an abstract paern of scored
stucco to break down the scale. Period photographs show a parking lot covering
most of the remaining available space.
7. Campus entry c. 1960, Yehle
12
ancillary buildings
Meanwhile, three small buildings were added in 1960, on an axis perpendicular
to the bay. The three two story structures were an operaons building,
a small dormitory, subsequently converted to the trium laboratory, and a
refrigeraon building (figures 11-14). These were ulitarian concrete structures,
narrow bar buildings, slight elevaon from exisng grade and concrete
overhangs being the only concessions to climac condions. Oriented roughly
north south, they were fully exposed to the western sun and minimally exposed
to views and onshore breezes. They are also rotated about 20° to the
8. Campus entry 1963, Yehle