I visited the Tech campus some years ago and wasn’t too impressed with it. However, I mentioned this to some Tech alumni recently who thought I was insane and stated that their campuse was beautiful. Am I insane or are they?
I think it’s you. It’s a good looking campus. Then again, it kinda depends on what part of campus you’re looking at…I’m guessing you weren’t there during the Carol of Lights?
I’m sorry Max (and I have respected your opinion in many, many other threads) but honestly Tech’s campus is one of the least attractive I have ever seen. The building materials are bland and inconsistent. There is no unified landscaping that unites the campus nor is there single true focus point that is so prevalent on some of the more attractive campuses. I imagine when Bobby Knight builds his statue to himself that will be remedied soon enough.
The campus seems more like a salute to urban sprawl than any specific design theme.
Red Raider fans have long tried to convince people that Tech is a pretty place, but objectively speaking, it just isn’t so.
Now let me say, that the educational product that Tech puts out is one of the best around. The students that come out of Texas Tech will rival the best of any other college or university, among these I include much more expensive institutions. In a lot of ways the education provided is reflected by the campus, maybe not the prettiest thing around, but one that gets the job done very well with a minimum of frills.
So, if you are considering going to a university for how pretty it is, Tech is not for you. On the other hand if you want a good education, it is very good.
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I can understand saying that the building STYLES are inconsistent, but not the materials. Every building is made of “Texas Tech brick”, that funky mix of colors that’s uniquely Tech.
Stylistically, though, I can see your point, especially as you move away from the engineering center and Memorial Circle. While the buildings there largely follow a similar design, things get nutty when you reach the BA and architecture buildings (the Business Administration building looks like a giant calculator). The new basketball forum, the United Spirit Arena, is rather nice, but it’s on the far side of the Arch and BA, so it’s not well linked to the others.
The picture in my post above, by the way, is evidently taken from the roof of the math building. The large “wreath” is on the physics and geosciences building.
As far as “sprawl”, yes, things are spread out. I’ve never considered that a major liability, though, except when it comes to parking.
Another thing about the attractiveness: who’s looking at the buildings anyway? The women at Tech are INSANELY hot. Just walk by Stangel Beach on a sunny day and tell me your opinions haven’t changed. hehehe…