Craigdarroch Residences (1964-67)

Architects: R.W. Siddall & Associates

These residences consist of four four-storey buildings, which together house about 300 students. The buildings are of reinforced concrete with stucco and stone exterior finish. Although these buildings incorporated design elements to transmit a west coast feel, particularly the stonework foundation and form caste window transoms to emulate split timber, this group of building really documents the drift toward New Brutalism in American and European Expressionist design. At this time Paul Rudolph was finishing his ponderously scaled Art and architecture Building at Yale. The effect of Craigdarroch's overpowering hung concrete panels has an effect similar to Rudolph's ponderous constructivist forms. However the interior garden courtyard, formed by the blocks and their linking pergola ramps and walkways, is humanly scaled, inviting and provides a new world interpretation of the old-world Oxbridge cloister.