Design and Social Change: An Architectural History of the University of California, Santa Barbara

Abstract

The University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), campus as it stands today appears as an architectural mash-up of midcentury modern institutional buildings, both low rise and high rise; a smattering of World War II–era wooden buildings; 1970s-style double wide trailers; and new science buildings built by a who's who of internationally famous architects. In this case study, the author shows how the UCSB campus's architectural history mirrors the post–World War II boom in educational facilities throughout California and the social, cultural, and architectural history of the region as a whole. The key to discovering this history is archival research, both at the University Archives at the UCSB Library, as well as at the architecture-specific Architecture and Design Collection at the Art, Design & Architecture Museum on campus. In this case study, the author explains how the architectural history can be traced through the archival records to more fully understand the history of the campus.