7,j
'U' Planners Test Ideas, Map Unchartered Sites
New Concepts in Campuses
Legendary Folk Tales
Was Siam
By THOMAS HUNTER
T IS ONE THING to assert that ours is
a great University, to take pride in its
growing reputation as "research center
of the Midwest," to point to accomplish-
ments in every field of academics.
It is quite another to insure that that
peculiar dynamism which has driven this
institution to a recognized place among
the leading educational centers of the
nation will not be allowed to burn itself
out within the confines of the present-
but will be provided for and allowed to
grow. The problem is met in campus
planning..
Campus planning sketched tentatively
for the next 20 years or so calls for
stepped-up development of the north
campus, clustering of various academic
centers on the central campus and or-
ganizing a system of integrated campuses
involving all southeastern Michigan.
Plotting the future development of the
academiccommunity is an indefinite
business at best. A Faculty Senate sub-
committee on campus planning has noted
that it requires "not a rigid organization-
al structure and fixed concept of a cam-
pus master plan, but rather a coherent
attitude built on a shared sense of campus
values and long range institutional ob-
jectives." There is no organization to
handle planning as such. The various
academic units involved determine the
needs of their own individual program,
then work with a variety of administra-
tors, architects and various ad hoc ad-
visors to translate the ideas into physical
plant.
To create an effective plant, building
needs must be defined by, educational
goals and objectives. There is no stable
pattern of growth within an academic
units, for functional relations shift be-
tween its parts and new divisions will
appear while old ones vanish. Yet change
can be anticipated in the light of emerg-
ing 'educational goals.
John McKevitt, assistant to the vice-
president in charge of business and fi-
nance, whose office coordinates'concreti-
zation of planning ideas, warns of the
fallacy of defining plans for the future
too conclusively. "Planning is our effort to
accommodate the future of the Univer-
sity, not to prescribe it. Intense planning
can be deceptive," he explains.
THE UNIVERSITY'S Ann Arbor cam-
pus presently stretches from the ath-
letic plant in the southwest extremity
some four miles to the far end of the
north campus. McKevitt recognizes three
different planning environments within
that area, identified as north campus,
the medical center and central campus.
The north campus area-with its rela-
tively few commitments in capital in-
vestments, its more than 1,000 undevel-
oped acres and extensive adjacent lands
not yet University property-obviously of-
fers the greatest opportunity for growth
and expansion of all three areas.
It is expected to provide an engineering.
center, relieving the central campus of
pressures for facilities and providing
room for related research and the Insti-
tute of Science and Technology. A fine
arts area would house. the music school
and the architecture and design college.
One other area is set aside for the edu-.
cation school and possibly University-
grade and high schools.
Residence halls, student service facili-
ties and a north campus student center
would complement the educational cen-
ters. General campus service units such
as library stacks, an electrical switch-
ing station and a printing and warehouse
building would be scattered within the,
total campus area.
In developing the area, McKevitt em-
phasizes traffic mobility, centering
around new access routes currently under
construction to the east of the campus
which will relieve present traffic con-
gestion on the community approaches
from the south. He also stresses develop-
ment of- the Huron River valley, which
serves as a natural land form for new
access to the future heart of the commu-
nity-thereby unifying functionally the
campus it divides scenically and providing
basic order to the future growth of the
entire community.
In determining the best use of a certain
land area, McKevitt said planners employ
these tests: 1) functional adequacy, or
whether the land area can accommodate
the proposed academic need; 2) whether
it gives a solution that is both desirable
and vital; 3) the element of aesthetic
satisfaction, or, whether it is conducive
to good composition and design,
ALTHOUGH NORTH campus develop-
ment will have the desirous effect of
relieving congestion in the central cam-
pus, the Faculty.. Senate planning sub-
committee has warned: "Because the
north campus offers such a clean slate on
which to plan, there is .some temptation
to focus attention primarily on this new
and virtually undeveloped area. Actually,
the future of the University must be firm-
ly attached to the central campus be-
cause of the large capital investments and
the community developments which sup-
port the existing functions in this area."
The central campus at this university is
not a clearly identifiable unit as it is at-
many others. McKevitt believes that the
line dividing campus and external com-
munity will become much more clearly
defined in the future. "Within the cen-
tral campus now there are land uses in
terms of function identifiable, somewhat
as a result of earlier planning proposals
and patterns of development," he says.
Thus, the physical sciences tend to
cluster in the southeast corner in Randall
Laboratory, West Physics Bldg., East En-
gineering Bldg. and the Physics-Astrono-
my Bldg. The biological sciences have
grouped toward the north, and the social
sciences and humanities on the western
edge from Angell Hall to the Frieze Bldg.
Surrounding this central core are profes-
sional schools. Finally, there is a housing
system with a sense -of order all its .own,
but definitely related to the academic
community.
In the future, McKevitt says, an effort
will be made to develop the central cam-
pus, and adjust the physical plant so that
it will more appropriately reflect and ac-.
commodate the academicrorder of its
liberal arts and professional schools.
The idea leads to another considered by
the Senate planning sub-committee -
that a network of educational centers
might evolve, comprising the entire cam-
pus as well as an increased number of
out-of-town units like Flint College and
the Dearborn Center. "The University
would thus become a regional system of
integrated campuses," the subcommittee
reports, "within the nucleated framework
of individual centers. It would-be increas-
ingly possible to develop specialized facil-
ities offering a higher degree of educa-
tional effectiveness and a more intimate
range of contacts between faculty and
students."
The trend away from centralization
toward nucleization of academic units
cannot be expected to reach such propor-
tions in the near future, but the fact that
this trend exists today means that there
are at least prospects of sorely wanted
beautification of the central campus
within the next few years. Specifically,
the Senate subcommittee report an-
nounced: ". . . old firetraps, notably the
Economics and West Physics Bldgs., are
prospectively slated for demolition."
There would probably be a new easiness
about campus once some of the greater
incongruities were- replaced with land-
scaping, or at least more pleasant struc-
tures. It might even become what the
subcommittee wistfully terms, "a delight-
fully handsome place of learning.".
WITH THE emergence of the three sub-
campuses, a study group has been set
up to devise 'a conceptual growth guide
"We will keep on building, and we will
be winners when the real dawn comes
tomorrow," hurrahed all the goddesses,_
when they saw that the gods had stopped-
When morning came, the goddesses had
completed their work-a well-built castle
of solid stone. The almighty -gods won-
dered how they could be so outsmarted.'
Since then, they never looked down upon
their goddesses again, and they all lived
in peace and happiness forever,
ON CE UPON A TIME, on the beautiful
eastern seacoast of Siam there lived
a very poor fishing family. Yom Doy was
the only daughter in this family, and she
was very beautiful.
The rumor of her great beauty spread
far and wide. All men-young and old,
rich and poor, fishermen, princes and
kings-all wished to have her as wife.
One day a handsome young Siamese
called at her house, and fell in love with
her at once. Chao Lai, the young man,
proposed to marry her, but--being very
poor himself-his earnest proposal was
unhesitatingly turned down by the girl's
mn'cthpr.
Then arrived 'in the harbor a huge
Chinese junk. A king of China had heard
of the unsurpassing beauty of Yom Doy,
and felt he must see her, or die. No soon-
er had the junk been anchored than the
king gave out the command that a boat
be lowered to take him ashore.
At Yom Doy's house, the rich Chinese
king was very magnificently received, and
it was not long before he told her mother
he proposed to marry her. Without wait-
ing for him to finish, the girl's anxious
mother accepted. She was so very ambi-
tious to see her daughter become a queen.
Meanwhile, Chao Lai, the poor young
man, proposed marriage to the girl's fa-
ther. The father accepted his proposal,,
not knowing that his wife had already ar-
ranged a wedding between their daughter
and the Chinese king. A day was fixed for
the marriage of Chao Lai and Yom Doy.
It so happened that the two marriages
were to take place on the very same day,
and at the very same time. How could
such a double marriage be possible? Two
grooms-and only one bride.. It would be
a joke.
HIMEN CAME the day, the day for that
funniest marriage. The morning was
clear and bright. The sky was blue. The
sea was smooth and calm. But nothing
was more lovely or more beautiful than,
the charming bride Yom Doy herself.
To the' east, the air was filled with
strange Chinese music. "Ting-ti-la, ta-
la-ti" played a happy tune. The sea was
crowded with colorful junks. The Chinese
king was -enjoying tea with his officers.
The scene was grand, and the' sight 'one
to remember.
From the west, there came a long pro-
cession, singing and shouting. Some of
the men played music while others
shouted and sang. "Ho-o-o-ohi-ho-o-o-o,
hiew-ew," they shouted merrily. Chao Lai
was almost at the head of the procession.
"Yai, look-those Chinese junks . ."
Ta, the girl's father, called to his wife.
"It's the good Chinese king who's go-
ing to marry our Yom Doy this morning.
But what's that procession for?" Yai
'asked Ta.
"It's the procession of Chao Lai who's
going to marry our Yom Doy this morn-
ing, Yai. But I don't understand why you
gave our daughter to that stout Chinese
king.,.
"I don't understand, either, why you
gave our Yom Doy to that poor boy."
"She's my daughter. I can make any
arrangements for her I like."
"Isn't she my daughter, too? And can't
I make arrangements for her?"
BY THIS TIME, both processions had
moved into the bride's house.
When everyone had entered and scru-
tinized each other, there was dead si-
lence for a moment, for all the music had
stopped. Then, suddenly, the father and
mother rose to their feet, jumping with
anger. A fierce fight broke out.
Ta threw his hat at Yai. It missed her
by an inch. The hat fell into the sea, and
there arose a mountain looking like the
hat, called Hat Mountain. Yai threw a
dish at Ta. It, too, just missed. The dish
fell into the sea, and there arose an
island looking like the dish, called Dish
Island.
In the meantime, sober-hearted Chao
Lai and the stout Chinese king withdrew.
Being so despondent over his mis-
fortune, Chao Lai died, becoming Chao
Lai Mountain. The Chinese king was so
ashamed before his people that he ordered
his men to throw everything aboard his
junks into the sea. Then he died because
of his tremendous sadness.
The fight between Yai and Ta still
raged. They threw at each other every-
thing they could reach-the dog, the
cat, a rat, an umbrella and even Yom
Doy, their daughter. There arose in the
IT WAS A CLOUDY NIGHT in the far
away land of white elephants called
Siam. A dim star fell over the palace
roof of Praya Kong, the duke of Nakorn
Chaisee, and a child was born.
It was a boy, and the news brought
a great joy all over the palace. The duke,
the duchess and all their kins and town-
folks, were exteremely pleased. The whole
city was already planning to celebrate
the birth of the new prince for seven
days and nights.
But just before daybreak, a wise pro-
phet solemnly, firmly, and loyally told
the duke:
"This prince, your highness, is born
your enemy-an enemy of the entire
kingdom. When he grows up, he will know
you not. He will be determined to kill
you.
The duke was shocked. When he came
to himself again, he commanded:
"Soldiers, hear me. This boy is not
my son. One day he will try to kill me.
So take him away, and kill him now!"
The soldiers took the boy away.
"He's but a baby," said the first soldier.
"How could I kill him?"
"He's innocent. How could I?" 'said the
second.
"What shall we do, then?" the third
asked. "If we don't kill him, we will
surely be executed!"
"Of course we will," said the first, "but
I believe there must be a way to keep
this innocent baby from getting killed.
Killing him is too cruel."
"We might leave him to be eaten up
by wild beasts," the second suggested.
"That would be even worse. Why don't
we put him in a tray and float him down
the river?" said the third.
Then she p
who ruled ov(
Many years I
between the
Nakorn Chais
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permission, a
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A few day,
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duke, within
city gate wa
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"Who's the
of fight?" C
duke. He sti
was his real
"Fight! Fig
"Young princ
we'll make y
"We have
to my father,
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The two
Chao Parn fu
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Kong accepte
prince than 1
elephants. T
together, but
Again, the
each other. I
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charge, Prays
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Construction
at Physics-Astronomy .Bldg.
to future development for both north and
central campuses and the medical center.
Its report on the medical center, though
not at all conclusive, provides an example
of what can be done toward long-range
planning for a complete and complex
whole.I
Operating on certain premises - that
the center would grow significantly and
that among its major functions priority
should be given to instruction - it pro-
posed 12 new structures. The group con-
sidered the community pattern and
available undeveloped resources, philo-
sophical relationships working within and
upon the community, and its functional
role. From this emerged a plan specifying
that initial building expansion would oc-
cur within the present cluster of buildings
with later construction to occur outward,
and that parking would be hanidled in
multi-level structures in order to concen-
trate it within short walking distance.