Clemson Architectural Foundation
The Clemson Architectural Foundation was founded in 1956 as an eleemosynary corporation to support and enrich the professional programs in the College of Architecture. That partnership has grown from one program in 1956 to five in 1993, including a college name change to support the programs supported. These are South Carolina's only programs in architecture, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, and construction science management, and they join the fine arts in forming a uniquely integrated school of professional studies within the College of Architecture, Arts, and Humanities. One of the CAF's most significant accomplishments has been the establishment of the Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Study in Genoa, Italy - in a villa owned and operated by the CAF for the benefit of the College and University. Each semester twenty-two students representing all disciplines in the college study and analyze Italian and European building construction, architecture, planning, landscape architecture, art, and history. The lessons learned here by the students are brought back home to apply after graduation to the built environment of South Carolina. Over 1,400 students, faculty, and professionals have been in residence at the Daniel Center since its founding in 1973. Since then, the School of Design + Building has established study programs in Barcelona, Spain, and Charleston, South Carolina; both of which the CAF also supports.
Support Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Study CAF Trustees
Message from the CAF President
The Clemson Architectural Foundation exists to enhance the learning experience for all students enrolled in the programs of Clemson University’s School of Architecture. The CAF has its focus on two orbits of influence: at home and abroad.
Here at home, we strive to connect the academic world to the world of practice by funding grants, offering travel assistance, and supporting the guest lecture series. Our grants vary widely each semester, from introducing grade school children to the world of architecture and construction to providing timely assistance to students in need, to sponsoring a recent series of lectures and discussions in Charleston entitled “Keeping History Above Water.” Beginning this fall, we plan to engage students in open conversations about what might lie ahead after graduation in forums where board members will discuss their own experiences leading from graduation to professional success. Our hope is to open the students’ eyes to the many different pathways and opportunities leading to successful, fulfilling careers.
Abroad, the CAF owns and operates the Charles E. Daniel Center for Building Research and Urban Studies in Genova, Italy (aka “the Villa”), the foundational piece of the School of Architecture’s “Fluid Campus” concept. The Villa and its program are part of an enlightened vision of Dean Harlan McClure’s original idea to immerse students in a foreign city that is somewhat off the beaten path, a place set apart to strengthen their real-world design abilities. The CAF purchased the Villa and welcomed its first students in 1973 and, since then, over 1,600 students have had the privilege of going through the program. Every one of us who attended a semester in Genova wholeheartedly agrees that it was a life-changing experience. In anticipation of the upcoming 50thanniversary of this program, we have been undertaking a complete overhaul of the place, both inside and out. The Villa is over 120 years old and needs constant maintenance and care. The Fluid Campus concept has expanded to include facilities in Barcelona and Charleston which we also support through grants, assistantships, and guest lectures.”
Of course, all of this support takes money. Your annual gift to the CAF goes directly to the students since our board is filled completely with volunteer alumni intent on giving back to the program that gave so much to each of us. While our twenty-two endowments provide funding for many supplemental programs of the School of Architecture and the Villa’s maintenance is funded by the University, we yearn to do more but need continuous funding. Your recurring, unrestricted annual gift to the CAF is, therefore, the best way to help these initiatives to continue and grow.
I thank you and encourage you to contact us to see how you can help.
ERIC HOLMBERG, '78, B.S., CONSTRUCTION SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
“I first arrived at the Villa late in the afternoon when no one was around to greet me. So, I scaled the wall and camped in the Villa garden overnight. Early the next morning, I was greeted by the professor and his wife, who heard the sound of my soccer ball as I bounced it against the sunroom shutters. Little did I know that the semester would prove to be such an important time in my life. At the end of the term, the professor organized an informal, individual commencement ceremony so that I was able to graduate from Clemson in the garden surrounded by my newly formed, lifelong friends. I learned that I could, indeed, be self-reliant. I gained confidence in my ability to make my way in the world with a great degree of certainty and a clear point of view. Studying in the Villa, traveling in Italy, and working with students in a variety of disciplines helped me start my career with an appreciation of the challenges faced by others. This understanding made me a stronger team player and a huge proponent of the team approach to 'well-being.' The Genoa experience stayed with me through every day of my working life and throughout each stage of my career. It is with great pleasure that I look forward to being back in the Villa garden for the celebration of the Villa at 50!”
Eric Holmberg '78B.S. Construction ScienceCAF President
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Contact
Kaycee Collins
Administrative Coordinator for Clemson Architectural Foundation
Office: Lee 3-119 Phone: 864-656-3904 Email: kayceec@clemson.edu
