Gullo Student Center

Gullo Student Center in San Jose, California by Fernau & Hartman, 2002

Berkeley, California's Fernau & Hartman describe their design philosophy as a combination of formal and informal design strategies, utilizing both the vernacular and the improvisational. The Gullo Student Center on the campus of Evergreen Valley College, in San Jose, California, expresses this philosophy through its relation to the surrounding campus and its use of a variety of materials.

The Student Center combines hard and soft, light and dark materials, both inside and outside. Outside, the painted, corrugated metal panels balance the stone panels, while metal storefront with generous glazing fits between the two. Inside, both wood and steel structure are exposed with spaces contained with masonry and sheetrock, among other materials.

The plan juts pieces from the primary mass of the building, juxtaposing the different materials across intimate outdoor spaces created. It is apparent the architects were concerned with scale while also providing variety in these spaces. Also, by moving stairs and ramps outside the building, additional activity enlivens these outdoor spaces, an important consideration in taking advantage of the climate of San Jose.

In architecture it is irrelevant whether a philosophy is generated by design or - the counter - if design is generated by a philosophy. More often than not the two are interdependent and develop over time through experience and thought. In the case of Fernau & Hartman their philosophy, be it reactionary or prescriptive, is evident in their design (and vice-versa), and this thoughtfulness enables them to create architecture that is singular, in all that word's meaning.