A Conversation With ... Michael Buono

Company: Hammons School of Architecture, Drury University

Education: Bachelor of Architecture, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N.Y.; Master of Architecture and Urban Design, Washington University, St. Louis

Multistate licensure: Buono, a Brooklyn native, is a licensed architect in Missouri, Arkansas and Georgia.

Contact: mbuono@drury.edu

Tell us about Hammons School of Architecture.

Back in the late 1970s, there were architectural courses offered out of the department of art. The university made a decision in the early 1980s to move to a full-fledged, accredited architecture program, and in the fall of 1984 hired Jay Garrott as the founding director. He’s still here, as the director of our Center for Community Studies. (Our students) are undergraduate students in what’s called a five-year Bachelor of Architecture first professional degree. A first professional degree allows (them) to enter the profession as an intern, work for an average of three and a half years as (a paid) intern … then make application to the state of their choice to take a national exam and become licensed in that state. We have an average of 210 to 220 students each year.

What brought you to Drury?

I’ve been here eight years. I (spent) 16 years at the University of Arkansas, as a professor emeritus and associate dean of the school. During those years, I had some affiliation with Drury, when they were starting Hammons School of Architecture. I would come and participate in juries, and I just got to know the people here. After about three years of them searching (for a director), I thought it might be a good opportunity for change, since I was retiring from the University of Arkansas.

Do you still design much?

I teach every semester, typically the first year, so I can get to know (new) students. My architecture practice is minimal right now, although every once in awhile I’ll have the opportunity to do a residence or a small commercial building. We encourage full-time faculty to be engaged in professional growth, whether it be creative practice, scholarship or research.

Does the school offer continuing education for practicing architects?

We specifically don’t sponsor a formal program. What we do have is an annual, almost monthly lecture series, and we bring in big-name architects and related discipline professionals to lecture on campus. Professionals who attend can sign up, and we submit them for continuing education credit.

Is green design an emerging trend?

The green movement (now) has not only to do with proper orientation of a building in terms of location, but it’s become very important (to look at) materials and efficient systems. If you build a building that’s got marble from … Italy, it’s not very efficient, because you take into consideration the fact that the marble is quarried in Italy and has to be shipped across the ocean. Drury has become very committed to sustainability of this planet, and we at Hammons School of Architecture ... are making more of an effort to introduce sustainable concepts to our students.

How are those ideas shared with students?

We just completed a Habitat for Humanity house that was designed by the students, built by students – not only architecture students, but other Drury students – and it has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Platinum certification. (See page 21.)

What’s on the horizon for the school?

We’re getting prepared for our accreditation (from the National Architectural Accrediting Board), which happens every six years. That’s going to be a major focus for the next year and a half. In addition, we’re going to be celebrating the 25th year of the existence of the school in 2009–10, so we’ll be working on programs for that.

Tell us about some of your early architecture experience.

I grew up in New York, and my father was a union carpenter. I am first-generation college educated. Upon graduation from Pratt, I was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers. It was Vietnam time, and I was very fortunate to end up in Munich, Germany, where I gained very valuable experience programming military construction, and leadership skills. My tour of duty was two years. I took a European discharge and secured a position with the Corps of Engineers as a Department of Army civilian architect in Italy, because I wanted to learn the language of my ancestors. I worked (there) for three and a half years, and returned to the states … and went to grad school at Washington University. I discovered teaching was my passion, and I’ve been in and out of mostly higher education since 1973, teaching at five universities.

Interview by Features Editor Maria Hoover. You can e-mail her with suggestions for future installments of this feature at mhoover@sbj.net.