The lights are still on. Walk into the 3rd floor studio of the Art & Architecture Building at 3 a.m., and you’ll see row after row of students working at their desks – hear a page turned, a woodblock sawed, a sweatshirt thrown over a chair.
With only around 700 undergraduate and graduate students, the A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning thrives as a rich yet tiny microcosm on North Campus. Founded in 1931, its name derives from Alfred Taubman, who donated $30 million to the college in 1999.
Not every student on campus will nod with recognition if Taubman is brought up in conversation. Even Architecture & Urban Planning junior Patty Hazle didn’t know it existed when she arrived at the University as a freshman.
“I didn’t have architecture on my mind at all,” Hazle said. “What drew me to Taubman was my first drawing class, taught by Melissa Harris. She was so charismatic and really opened my eyes to the world of architecture. I learned how amazing the faculty were at this college.”
Not many students know about the Taubman College of Architecture, but given the quality of the program, they’re missing out.