UCI’s fifty years have spanned some of the most tumultuous in history; the changing aesthetic and values of the late modern and postmodern eras are reflected in the evolution of its physical infrastructure. From its Irvine Ranch origins, to Pereira and Uematsu’s late-modern designs for initial buildings and park, to the postmodern building boom led by David Neuman, and finally to current construction and schemes for the future, this course will explore the history of UCI’s architecture and landscape and the dynamic cultural forces these spaces represent.

Students in this Freshman Seminar will help orchestrate guided tours of key campus architecture and landscape elements. These will be augmented by assigned readings written by and on the subject of the designers and design principles present on campus. Students will also assist in the creation of an online resource devoted to campus architecture, landscape, and design.

Jesse Colin Jackson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art. His creative research centers on object and image making as discursive modes of architectural production. Educated as an architect and engineer, Jackson appropriates the images, forms, and conceptual apparatus found in the urban landscape.