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The front of the LSA Building has many signature stylistic choices. The many rows of windows shift to columns of windows in the center of the building, where the building juts forward. The clock and small sculptural elements between windows give the building some flair, as does the salmon brick. The entrance is beyond some columns, and the building is framed by many trees.

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A close-up of the entrance of the LSA Building.

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The back of the LSA Building.

    There are many other recognizable buildings on the University of Michigan campus that were built around the same time as the LSA Building (1948).

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South Quadrangle.

Two of these are large dormitories, South Quadrangle (1951) and Alice Crocker Lloyd (1949). These dorms have much in common with one another and with the LSA Building. The three buildings are all very organized and linear. They all have rows of windows and rectangular features. The dorms are more compact than the LSA Building; the LSA Building juts out a little in the center, which appears to be a stylistic choice.

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Alice Lloyd.

    However, the dorms’ facades are flat except when the building completely shifts orientation, which seems to be more of a practical decision for the layout of the dorms inside and the plot of land that is being worked with. Alice Crocker Lloyd shares the concept of having an entrance beyond some columns with the LSA building. One thing that the LSA Building doesn’t share with the dorms is color. The dorms have a classic brown or red brick color, much different from the salmon of the LSA Building.

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Ray Fisher Baseball Stadium.

    The Ray Fisher Baseball Stadium (1950) is the most different of these buildings. It doesn’t follow the linear guidelines of the others. The focal point of the stadium is the curved entrance beyond large columns. The decorative metalwork, alternating colored brick, and massive windows gives the building more character. It still has some linear elements, but it doesn’t rely solely on linear principles. While all of these buildings share some similar characteristics, they all have their own individual personality.

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The College of Health Sciences.

Today, HED, the firm that designed the LSA Building, continues to design many higher education buildings. The College of Health Sciences, in Irvine, CA, is in many ways very similar to the LSA Building. The linear array of windows and small decorative elements (in this case, the metal work around the windows) resembles the linear rows of windows and small sculptural details of the LSA Building. The bottom of the building, near the entrance, is just like that of the LSA Building; the entrance is nested underneath the building beyond some columns.

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Design and Media Arts Center.

The Design and Media Arts Center, in Los Angeles, CA, is still very linear. The panels of windows of each sector of the building are organized into straight rows and columns. However, this building has a few twists. The windows don’t span across whole rows; they are instead covering one whole wall and only a little of the others. A portion of the building is turned partially on its side. It still integrates columns at the entrance, but the columns are letters. It’s still a very organized-looking building, but it is more unique.

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Student Health and Counseling Center.

The Student Health and Counseling Center, in Riverside, CA, while again still linear, has a large, subtle curve along the top of the building. Its many windows are also either covering whole walls or in smaller, neat and tidy rows. The landscaping of this building takes more of a forefront than the others, much like the LSA Building. The LSA Building is framed by big, beautiful trees, and this building has a gorgeous courtyard with lovely landscaping.

The buildings by HED today are much more modern; the materials are more industrial, and the colors are more neutral, unlike the LSA Building which used brick and stone, and is its signature salmon color. While the buildings today are certainly more modern, they maintain orderly facades and pleasing organizations.

Works Cited

“A Chronology of University of Michigan Buildings, 1840-2022.” Bentley Historical Library University of Michigan, The Regents of the University of Michigan, bentley.umich.edu/legacy-support/campus_tour/chronology.php. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023. 

“Higher Education.” HED, www.hed.design/stories/higher-education. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023. 

Works Cited – Photos

“LSA Building.” Campus Information University of Michigan. https://maps.studentlife.umich.edu/building/literature-science-and-the-arts. 

“South Quad.” Campus Information University of Michigan, https://maps.studentlife.umich.edu/building/south-quadrangle.

"Alice Crocker Lloyd Hall for Women; BL001777," 1949. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhl/x-bl001777/bl001777. 

“Ray Fisher Baseball Stadium.” Campus Information University of Michigan. https://maps.studentlife.umich.edu/building/ray-fisher-baseball-stadium.

“College of Health Sciences, University of California Irvine.” HED Design. https://www.hed.design/stories/higher-education.

“Design and Media Arts Center, LA Trade Technical College.” HED Design. https://www.hed.design/stories/higher-education.

“Student Health and Counseling Center, Concept Study.” HED Design. https://www.hed.design/stories/higher-education.