College of Design History- A tour of the COD around campus

Color Wall (1972) by Professor Joe Cox located in the D.H. Hill Jr. Library.

Color Wall (1972) by Professor Joe Cox located in the D.H. Hill Jr. Library.

This blog is part of a series of posts featuring stories and photos from NC State’s College of Design, formerly School of Design. In celebration of the College’s 75th anniversary, the Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) created an exhibit titled “College of Design: 75 Years of Designing Tomorrow.” The exhibit opens in the D.H. Hill Jr. Library’s exhibit gallery after spring break March 2024. Graduate students Shima Hosseininasab, Kelly Arnold, and Alana Gomez worked together to create content for the exhibit and blog posts. 

Though the College of Design has seen many changes over its 75 years, the physical presence of the College still exists in various locations around campus. Many of the spaces we traverse through everyday were designed by past design faculty and alumni. Below is a list of places where you can find elements of the College of Design outside of its home in Brooks Hall. Read more about the College's first 75 years in this blog post by Patrick Rand, Roger Clark, and David Hill.

The Visualization Studio features a sawtooth graphic treatment on its outer walls designed by Alexander Isley (‘82). Tzu Chen Photography ©
The Visualization Studio features a sawtooth graphic treatment on its outer walls designed by Alexander Isley (‘82). Tzu Chen Photography ©https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/news/focus/library-light

D.H. Hill Jr. Library:

  • Color Wall (1972) by Professor Joe Cox 
  • Cyma Rubin Visualization Gallery (2020) by Alexander Isley Inc. 
  • Erdahl-Cloyd West Wing (1954) by architects Matthew Nowicki, William Henley Deitrick, and Milton G. Small
Atrium Mural (originally the College Union Mural).
Atrium Mural (originally the College Union Mural).https://dining.ncsu.edu/other/atrium-mural/

The Atrium: 

  • The Atrium Mural, originally the College Union Mural, (1954) by Professor Manuel Bromberg
The Egg (1961) by Professor Roy Gussow
The Egg (1961) by Professor Roy Gussow.

The College of Design:

  • Brooks Hall (1925) by architect Hobart Brown Upjohn
  • Leazar Hall (1912) by architect  Harry P.S. Keller 
  • Matsumoto Wing, or Brooks Hall extension/addition, (1954) by architect F. Carter Williams and Professor George Matsumoto
  • The Egg (1961) by Professor Roy Gussow 
G. Milton Small and Associates Office Building (1966) by architect G. Milton Small.
G. Milton Small and Associates Office Building (1966) by architect G. Milton Small.

Around campus:

  • JC Raulston Arboretum Lath House (2010) by Frank Harmon Architect PA
  • G. Milton Small and Associates Office Building (1966) by architect G. Milton Small
  • Burlington Nuclear Reactor Laboratories (1951-1953) by architect G. Milton Small
  • Brickyard (1968) by landscape architect Richard C. Bell
  • Talley Student Union (2015) by Turan Duda

Explore areas of campus here.

“College of Design: 75 Years of Designing Tomorrow” opens in March 2024 in the exhibit gallery of the D.H. Hill Jr. Library. You can visit the exhibit during Hill Library’s hours for the rest of the year.

If you have any questions or are interested in viewing Special Collections materials, please contact us at library_specialcollections@ncsu.edu or submit a request online. The Special Collections Research Center is open by appointment only. Appointments are available Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm and Saturday, 1pm–5pm. Requests for a Saturday appointment must be received no later than Tuesday of the same week.