University of California, Riverside campus

The University of California, Riverside (UCR) main campus is located within the City of Riverside in western Riverside County, three miles (5 km) east of downtown, and comprises convert|1112|acre|km2 divided into eastern and western boundaries by the State Route 60 freeway. Nearly half of the total area is devoted to agricultural teaching and research fields, most of which are located west of the freeway.

Development history

The original buildings that formed the earliest kernel of the campus included the UC Citrus Experiment Station laboratory, residential buildings, and barn, all of which are still in use today, although for different purposes. They were designed by Lester H. Hibbard of Los Angeles, a graduate of the University of California School of Architecture, in association with a colleague, H.B. Cody. Built at a cost of $165,000, the architecture of the major buildings followed the Mission Revival style suggesting the Spanish colonial heritage of Southern California. The site eventually opened in 1917. A third building, the North Wing, now known as Chapman Hall, was attached to the CES in 1931.cite web | title=UCR's Long Range Development Plan, October 2005| url=http://www.lrdp.ucr.edu/LRDP%2011-2005%20-%20Final/LRDP05-Oct2005.pdf | publisher= University of California, Riverside, Office of Academic Planning & Budget, Capital & Physical Planning | accessdate= 2007-08-10]

Further major construction largely ceased on the site until the groundbreaking for the new College of Letters and Science in April 1951. A group of five buildings in decidedly more Modern styles were completed by 1954: the Tomás Rivera Library, Webber Hall, Geology Building, Physical Education Building and Watkins Hall. These buildings were all constructed out of reinforced concrete and brick and designed by different architects paid for by state appropriation. The ft to m|38871|abbr=yes library was designed by the firm of Latta & Denny and constructed at a cost of $625,829. The convert|49794|ft|m|abbr=on Webber hall was designed by Chambers & Hibbard and cost $1,135,960, partially paid by State Fair and Exposition funds. The ft to m|43794|abbr=yes Geology Building cost $857,800 and was designed by Bennett & Bennett. The ft to m|45830|abbr=yes Physical Education building cost $983,000 and was designed by Arthur Froehlic. The ft to m|60257|abbr=yes Social Sciences Building, later renamed Watkins Hall, was designed by the firm of Clark & Frey and cost $1,051,000. In 1955, UCR purchased the 275 unit Canyon Crest housing complex, previously used by personnel stationed at nearby March Air Force Base, for use as student family housing. After five years of construction, UCR's first residence hall, the ft to m|18000|abbr=yes Aberdeen-Inverness, was completed in 1959. It was designed by the firm of Allison and Rible at a cost of $3,839,000 paid for by Federal loan funds.cite web | title=UCR's Long Range Development Plan, October 2005| url=http://www.lrdp.ucr.edu/LRDP%2011-2005%20-%20Final/LRDP05-Oct2005.pdf | publisher= University of California, Riverside, Office of Academic Planning & Budget, Capital & Physical Planning | accessdate= 2007-08-10] citation | last=Stadtman | first=Verne A. | title=The Centennial Record of the University of California | date=1967 | publisher=Office of the Regents of the University of California, Office of the Secretary
url=http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb4v19n9zb&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00792&toc.depth=1&toc.id=div00792&brand=calisphere | accessdate= 2007-08-10]

After the Regent's designation of UCR as "general campus" of UC system in 1958, many new buildings and additions were laid out over the following decade. Following an east-west axis, new student residence halls and athletic facilities were developed along the southeastern quadrant of the main campus, while academic and research facilities were built up along the central campus area closer to the freeway. The Carillon Tower, the only ornamental structure on campus, was built in this period. Past the freeway, over convert|500|acre|km2 of agricultural fields extended northwest to the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Le Conte Drive, forming the borders of "West Campus."

After the drop in enrollment and subsequent restructuring of academic programs in 1970s, little capacity construction was undertaken over the next two decades, except as required by the developing research interests of CNAS. Boyce Hall, completed in 1974, was the only major addition in the period, although several greenhouses and agricultural support units continued to be built. However, in the mid-80s, enrollment started to grow significantly, by 76% over six years (from 4,655 students in 1983 to 8220 students in 1989). This growth justified considerable further campus expansion over the 1990s. Major additions built in the 90s include the Entomology Research Museum completed in 1993, Bourns Hall completed in 1995, the Humanities & Social Science building in 1996, the Science Library in 1998, Pentland and Stonehaven residence halls in 2000, and the Arts building in 2001.cite web | title=UCR's Long Range Development Plan, October 2005| url=http://www.lrdp.ucr.edu/LRDP%2011-2005%20-%20Final/LRDP05-Oct2005.pdf | publisher= University of California, Riverside, Office of Academic Planning & Budget, Capital & Physical Planning | accessdate= 2007-08-10]

Since 1999, to accomidate a further wave of enrollment growth, more than $730 million dollars have been invested in new construction projects.cite web | title=UCR Facts and Impacts 2007| publisher= University of California, Riverside, Office of Governmental and Community Relations & Technology Collaboration | url=http://www.ucr.edu/about/facts.html |accessdate= 2007-08-22] Active construction projects include: Phase II of the Campus Commons expansion, Engineering Unit 3 and Materials Science Building, Psychology Research Building, Genomics Building, CHASS Instructional and Research Center, and a new Students Academic Support Services Building. The Campus Commons (Phase I), 'Glen Mor' Arroyo Student Housing Apartments, and Alumni & Visitors Center were recently completed.cite web | title= University of California, Riverside, Office of Design and Construction | publisher=University of California, Riverside, Vice Chancellor Administration | url= http://pdc.ucr.edu | accessdate= 2007-08-22]

East campus notable features

East Campus, comprising approximately convert|600.8|acre|km2, provides the core cluster of academic buildings and services. Student housing and recreational facilities are provided in its northern and easternmost portion near the Box Spring Mountains. Wide grassy pedestrian malls run throughout the campus. In the center of the main campus stands the UCR Carillon Bell Tower, one of only four in California. It was given as a gift by former UC regent Philip Boyd and his wife Dorothy. The dedication of the carillon and tower took place on October 2, 1966. Designed by A. Quincy Jones - Jones & Emmons of Los Angeles, the tower is convert|161|ft|m tall and contains 48 bells, cast in France. The bells cover four chromatic octaves and weigh from 28 to 5,091 pounds. [cite web | title= History of the Bell tower | publisher= UCR Bell Tower Fund | url= http://www.belltower.ucr.edu/subpage.php?content=history.html | accessdate= 2007-08-23] Live performances generally occur Mondays at noon during the academic year, with occasional performances scheduled on the weekends. [cite web | title= Performances | publisher= UCR Bell Tower Fund | url= http://www.belltower.ucr.edu/subpage.php?content=history.html | accessdate= 2007-08-23]

The Commons student center was previously located directly northwest of the Bell tower. The four-decade old building was demolished at the end of 2005, and construction is under way to more than double the size of the center from 65,000 to convert|142000|sqft|m2. The first phase of the new $50 million Commons was recently completed, and includes meeting rooms, dining areas, places to study, and office space for student programs. [cite web | last= Forgey | first= Mary | title=UC Riverside Plays 'Catch-Up' | publisher= California Construction | date= May 2004 | url = http://california.construction.com/features/archive/0405_Feature11.asp | accessdate= 2007-08-22] [cite web | title=Commons | url=http://www.commons.ucr.edu/default.htm | publisher= University of California, Riverside | accessdate= 2007-10-10]

Southeast of the Bell tower is the Tomás Rivera Library, the main library. Further southeast past the intersection of Citrus and Eucalyptus Avenues are the buildings that make up the instruction halls and research centers of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, including some of the original 1917 buildings.

Forming the southeastern border of the Riverside campus are the Botanic Gardens, which occupy 40 acres of rugged terrain in the Box Springs foothills. Prominent natural features include two arroyos and a variety of plants native to the site. More than four miles (6 km) of hiking trails traverse the grounds.cite web | title=University of California, Riverside Botanic Gardens| publisher=University of California, Riverside, Center for Visual Computing | url=http://www.gardens.ucr.edu/ | accessdate= 2007-08-22]

The 60 freeway's University Avenue underpass forms a "gateway" between the city and the university. Painted on the support walls of the underpass is the Gluck Gateway Mural, a convert|190|ft|m|sing=on memorial of Riverside and UCR history from the days before the Citrus Experiment Station through 2000, the year the mural was painted. [cite web | title=The Story Behind the Gateway Mural| date= September, 2000 | url=http://www.fiatlux.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=368 |publisher=UCR Fiat Lux | accessdate= 2007-08-22]

West campus notable features

Of the convert|511|acre|km2 of UCR property comprising the West Campus, approximately convert|295|acre|km2 are citrus groves and row crops used primarily by the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. University Extension, the USDA Germplasm Repository, International Village (student housing), a parking lot, office buildings (Human Resources and Highlander Hall), and other small facilities are also located on the West Campus. University Village, a mixed use development located across from University Avenue adjacent to the freeway, provides a movie theater, stores, restaurants, office space, an apartment complex, as well as a parking structure and surface parking. The movie theaters serve as lecture halls during the day, with a shuttle taking students to and from campus every 10 minutes.cite web | title=UCR's Long Range Development Plan, October 2005| url=http://www.lrdp.ucr.edu/LRDP%2011-2005%20-%20Final/LRDP05-Oct2005.pdf | publisher= University of California, Riverside, Office of Academic Planning & Budget, Capital & Physical Planning | accessdate= 2007-08-10] Future capital expansion plans will convert dormant agricultural fields into new UCR infrastructure.cite web | title= University of California, Riverside, Office of Design and Construction | url= http://pdc.ucr.edu | accessdate= 2007-08-22]

References