Records of the School of Architecture

Collection

Identifier: PI-016

Staff Only

Pratt Institute Archives Records and Manuscripts

Scope and Contents

The Records of the School of Architecture consists primarily of publications since the school’s formation in 1954, but also contains resources about the years before 1954 when courses were offered in the architecture department of the School of Fine and Applied Arts. The publications are comprehensive because they not only exhibit the work of students, but also discuss the curriculum and faculty. Along with the course catalogs and reports, these publications offer insight into the methods of teaching and emergence of new programs.

Examples of student work and publications can also be found in the archives of the School of Architecture, located in Higgins Hall.

Dates

1898 - 2013
Majority of material found within 1954 - 2004

Creator

Pratt Institute. School of Architecture (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to the public.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, contact the Archivist, Pratt Institute Library.

Biographical / Historical

The School of Architecture was formed in 1954 and has continued under the same name since. Prior to 1954, the School of Fine and Applied Arts housed the Department of Architecture. From 1938 to 1954, an architecture degree in fine and applied arts was offered; between at least 1891 and 1938, completion of the architecture course resulted in a certificate. By 1928, the architecture course had developed into a three-year academic program that focused primarily on building construction and architectural design. In 1948, the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) awarded accreditation to the School.

The school has become one of the most populous in Pratt Institute, growing exponentially since 1938: Between 1938 and 1954, 15 degrees were awarded per year; between 1955 and 1975, 64 degrees were awarded per year; and between 1976 and 1986, 122 degrees were awarded per year.

The Graduate City and Regional Planning Program began in 1959 to investigate social issues, which eventually spawned the Pratt Center for Community Development in 1964—the oldest university-based advocacy planning and technical assistant organization in the United States.

In 1995 the school introduced several new features: the School woodshop was installed in Higgins Hall, a School archive was established, and the annual journal of student work (InProcess) was introduced.

In 1970 the School moved from Main Building to its current home in Higgins Hall. In 1996 Higgins Hall suffered from a four-alarm fire during a $1.5 million renovation.

In addition to undergraduate and graduate architecture degrees, the School of Architecture is currently home to several other programs. These programs include undergraduate construction management, graduate urban design, graduate city and regional planning, graduate historic preservation, graduate facilities management, graduate urban environmental systems management, and the graduate program for sustainable planning and development. The program for sustainable planning and development is an alliance of four programs that have a shared value placed on urban sustainability defined by a “triple bottom line”—environment, equity, and economy.

Extent

10.21 Linear Feet (41 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Records of the School of Architecture document the history of the school since its formation in 1954, as well as its time as a department in the School of Fine and Applied Arts, through publications, promotional materials, course catalogs, press releases, and materials from various events dating from 1912 to 2012.

Arrangement

The records are arranged in ten series, three of which have been further arranged in subseries. The majority of the series in this collection are arranged chronologically. Publications, which make up more than half of the collection, are arranged chronologically by the date of the publication’s first issue. The series and subseries arrangement of the records is as follows:

Series 1: Reports, 1969-2004

1.1: General Reports, 1969-1992

1.2: Accreditation Reports, 1969-2004

Series 2: Catalogs, circa 1898-1990

Series 3: Faculty, 1923-1983

Series 4: Handbooks, 1973-1996

Series 5: Correspondence, 1923, 1969-1970

Series 6: Promotional, 1937-2011

6.1: General Promotional, 1937-2011

6.2: Subject Promotional, 1955-1967

Series 7: Lectures and Exhibitions, 1921-2002

Series 8: Public Relations, 1956-1975

Series 9: Students, circa 1922-1974

Series 10: Publications and Studies, 1941-2014

10.1: Serial Publications, 1952-2014

10.2: Studies and Reports, 1941-2010

10.3: Design Studio Projects, 2002-2008

Related Materials

Theoharis David Papers ( Collection no. 018)

Harmful Language Statement

If you encounter any pejorative language (i.e. racist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic) or content in the finding aids or within the content of the collection, please send an email to archives.library@pratt.edu with the relevant details. For more information about how the Pratt Institute Libraries are addressing offensive language and content across its catalogs and databases, please see the Libraries' Harmful Language Statement: https://library.pratt.edu/statement/2022/05/27/harmful-language.html.