Hammons School of Architecture trains students for job market

It was 1984 when the faculty at Drury College, now Drury University, approved the five-year degree program for a bachelor's degree in architecture, according to Jay Garrott, instructor and one of the people instrumental in initiating the program.

Prior to 1984 Drury offered courses of study in architecture connected to the art department, Garrott said. In 1985 Hammons School of Architecture was named and the program was separated from the school of art, Garrott said.

Springfield developer John Q. Ham-mons was a key benefactor in starting up the school and he still is important to the school, according to Hammons School of Architecture instructor Bruce Moore.

Initially, there were 175 students enrolled in the program, Moore said, but that number has risen to 235 and the school is expected to continue to move upward both in size and in the quality of the work produced, Garrott said. The faculty grew from a seven-member staff to 12 instructors.

Accreditation with the National Arch-itectural Accrediting Board was the first major goal in the early development. The long and structured process required several steps to complete, Garrott added, and it was 1991 before the school completed the process.

"The initial accreditation was for a three year period," he said. At each subsequent review by the board, the school received the maximum five-year accreditation from the NAAB.

According to Moore, at the heart of the school is the emphasis on a well-rounded education for the students.

"We want them to benefit from the school environment in a liberal arts setting," he said. Students participate in band, athletics and other school programs not related to architecture.

Global field

One area of focus at the school is the international travel study experience, Moore said, which gives students opportunities to see varying styles of design.

"Like most architectural schools we are design-oriented at heart," he said.

Many courses are designed with a global perspective in mind, he added.

Hammons School of Architecture Di-rector Michael Buono said, "We really want to have some international awareness, with the fact that the world is becoming smaller."

Every student has the opportunity to participate in foreign study and some international study is required, he said.

The school has sent students to Florence, Italy, Paris, London, and Bei-jing, China. Most recently, a full semester abroad was offered in Volos, Greece, Buono said.

"Architecture is a multi-cultural, international thing," Moore said.

Another important facet of study is community awareness and involvement. The school has had a requirement from the beginning that students take part in the community studio and participate in projects for non-profit groups or small towns, Buono stated.

The school has taken on such local projects as the downtown YMCA and Southwest Missouri State University, ac-cording to Moore. Reaching out to other communities, students did an analysis for the city of St. Charles to determine how it could improve through development.

The analysis revealed that what St. Charles needs is "planning that might lead to beauty at its simplest," Moore said.

Students now are working on a similar plan for Farmington.

The idea is to offer an opportunity for students to give back to society while they are still in school, Buono said.

Hammons School of Architecture's goal is to prepare students to enter their field with confidence and enthusiasm.

"When they leave us they are ready to get out there and get rolling in the profession," Moore said.

Work force

The route to success is a very long process, Buono said, with five years of school and requisite internships.

"Architecture is a life-long learning experience," he said.

Moore noted that a minimum of three years of internship is required in the field before the candidate can become li-censed, Moore said. The school has had good luck with placement, with students finding work with firms in cities such as St. Louis and Chicago, states like Florida and Colorado, and beyond U.S. borders in the Bahamas. One graduate is starting his career in China this year.

The career center at Drury helps with placement, according to Buono. Place-ment of graduates locally versus out of the area is about 50/50, he estimated.