An Academic Aesthetics?

Abstract

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “campus” as both a “physical space in a hospital, school or university” and an “academic entity” (1). Similarly, the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “the grounds of a college or university,” but also as “university of college life” (2). Both definitions imply links between architecture and social dimensions of university life. A university campus has its predecessor in medieval monasteries that, like for instance the Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay in France founded in 1118 by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, were self-contained complexes that included churches, cloisters, dormitories, and various support buildings (3). Later, universities created similar autonomous environments designed to further their aims—teaching and the pursuit of new knowledge. Today, the image of the greatest universities is often associated with their spaces: the spires of Oxford or the Harvard Yard became part of the vocabulary and metaphors for academic life. In the US, Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) formulated the concept of an academical village. Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence, held several major public offices; he was governor of Virginia, minister to France, secretary …