Burton Rockwell Collection 2017.-05

Nicole Santiago
University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design. Environmental Design Archives
July 2017
230 Wurster Hall #1820
Berkeley, CA 94720-1820
designarchives@berkeley.edu


Language of Material: English
Contributing Institution: University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design. Environmental Design Archives
Title: Burton Rockwell Collection
creator: Robbins, Jack, 1923- ;
Identifier/Call Number: 2017.-05
Physical Description: 3 Cubic Feet 1 carton, 2 doc boxes, 5 flat file folders
Date (inclusive): 1946-1985

Access Statement

Collection is open for research. Many of the Environmental Design Archives collections are stored offsite and advanced notice is required for use.

Publication Rights

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the Curator.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Burton Rockwell Collection, Environmental Design Archives, University of California, Berkeley.

Biographical Note

Burton Lowe Rockwell was born in 1920 in Utica, New York to Burton Lowe and Blanch Louise (Taylor) Rockwell. Following his service as a captain in the United States Army during World War II (1942-1946), he earned both his Bachelor of Architecture (1946) and Master of Architecture (1947) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Rockwell began his professional career for John Lyon Reid in San Francisco, (1947-1953) and subsequently became a partner in John Lyon Reid & Partners (1953-1960), Reid Rockwell Banwell & Tarics (1960-1962), and Rockwell & Banwell (1962-1970). He opened a private practice Burton Rockwell (1970-1977) for a few years and was a partner in Rockwell, Chatham, Marshall (1977-1988), and Rockwell & Rockwell, Architects.
He served on the faculty of the University California Berkeley, College Environmental Design, 1962-1971 and as a guest professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1969-1970.
Notable projects include University of California San Francisco Health Science Instruction & Research Building, San Francisco, 1966 (American Institute of Architects honor 1968), Lafayette-Orinda United Presbyterian, 1968 (American Institute of Architects Bay Area Honor 1974), and the Santa Cruz County Governmental Center, Santa Cruz County, 1967 (Progressive Architecture award).
He became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1970. Rockwell passed away in 2010.
Sources: http://prabook.com/web/person-view.html?profileId=603530 accessed July 31, 2017

System of Arrangement

The collection is arranged into three series: Personal Papers, Office Records, and Project Records. The Project Record series is arranged alphabetically by project.

Content Description

Burton Rockwell's records span the years 1946-1985 and include the files of Reid, Rockwell Banwell & Tarics, Rockwell & Banwell, and Rockwell & Rockwell. The collection is organized into three series: Personal Papers are comprised solely of Rockwell's architecture course work while at MIT; Office Records consist of brochures for public relations from his various firms, a reference file with study photographs and clippings related to schools and churches for inspiration, and photographs taken at the office of Rockwell & Banwell; Project Records consisting of drawings, photographs, slides, clippings, and project descriptions which document 36 projects Rockwell designed throughout the course of his career.

Related Collections

For related materials to the items in this collection, please see the following finding aids: Jack Robbins Collection, 1955-2007, (2010-11), UC Berkeley: Environmental Design Archives 

Project Index

The following is a list of architectural projects from the Burton Rockwell Collection. For more complete information about collection contents for each project download the complete Project Index in an Excel spreadsheet format by going to Burton Rockwell I-Page . For instructions on interpreting the Project Index, see The Guide to the Project Index.  
The project list below, derived from the Project Index, is arranged alphabetically by Project/Client Name and contains information, where available, about the location, date, project type, collaborators, photographers, and formats for each project in the collection.
Project/Client Name (location, date, project type) Collaborator (role), Photographer [Format - Ms=Manuscripts, Dr=Drawings, Ph=Photographs]
  • Amelia Earhart School ( Alameda , CA ; 1979 ; educational ) Collaborator: Harbor Bay Isle Associates [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Antioch Senior High School ( Antioch , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ph]
  • Aragon High School ( San Mateo , CA ; 1959 ; educational ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Bear Creek High School ( Orinda , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) [Dr]
  • Burlingame High School ( Burlingame , CA ; circa 1960 ; educational ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ms, Ph]
  • Contra Costa College ( San Pablo , CA ; 1963 ; educational ) [Dr]
  • Crestmore High School ( San Bruno , CA ; circa 1962 ; educational ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Design: Biomedical Research Facility ( n.a. ; medical ) [Dr]
  • Dixie Elementary School ( San Rafael , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ph]
  • Fairfax School addition ( Fairfax , CA ; 1948 ; educational ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Fillmore Center ( San Francisco , CA ; circa 1964 ; commercial ) [Ms, Dr]
  • Frederic Burke School ( San Francisco , CA ; 1954 ; educational ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Hamilton Meadow Park School ( Novato , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Bragstad, Jeremiah O. [Ph]
  • Highland Elementary School ( Millbrae , CA ; 1952 ; educational ) [Ms, Ph]
  • Hillsdale High School ( San Mateo , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ms, Ph]
  • Kalamazoo College: Stetson Chapel Tower Bells ( Kalamazoo , MI ; 1981 ; educational ) [Ms, Dr]
  • Lafayette-Orinda United Presbyterian (L.O.U.P.) ( Lafayette , CA ; 1968 ; religious ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Las Lomas High School ( Walnut Creek , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ph]
  • Manor Elementary School ( Fairfax , CA ; 1954 ; educational ) [Ms, Ph]
  • Melrose School, Chapel, and Convent ( Brewster , NY ; 1972 ; religious ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Mills High School ( Millbrae , CA ; 1954 ; educational ) [Ms, Ph]
  • Miramonte High School Library ( Orinda , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) [Ph]
  • Novato High School ( Novato , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ph]
  • Oakview Elementary School ( San Rafael , CA ; 1968 ; educational ) Photographer: Bragstad, Jeremiah O.; Crandell Photo [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Old Technology and Advanced Technology Mills ( Santa Ana , CA ; 1981 ; educational ) [Dr]
  • Pleasant Valley Elementary School ( Novato , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Dr, Ph]
  • Rockwell, Ruth and Burton ( San Francisco , CA ; 1985 ; residential ) Photographer: West, Melanie [Ms, Dr, Ph, Sl]
  • San Lorenzo Valley High School ( Felton , CA ; 1953, 1966 ; educational ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • San Lorenzo Valley Intermediate School ( Felton , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ms, Ph]
  • San Marin High School ( Novato , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) Photographer: Bragstad, Jeremiah O. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • San Ramon High School ( Danville , CA ; n.d. ; educational ) [Dr]
  • Santa Cruz County Governmental Center ( Santa Cruz , CA ; circa 1966 ; municipal ) Photographer: Dick, Vester; Faubion, Dwain; Rockwell, Burton; Sturdevant, Roger [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Sinaloa Junior High School ( Novato , CA ; 1968 ; educational ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Sutton, Walter and Virginia ( Los Angeles , CA ; 1950 ; residential ) [Dr]
  • University of California San Francisco: Health Science Instruction and Research Building (HSIR) ( San Francisco , CA ; 1966 ; educational/ medical ) Collaborator: Tarics SE, Alexander G. ; Photographer: Sturdevant, Roger [Ms, Dr, Ph]
  • Weiner, Mr. and Mrs. JJ ( Kentfield , CA ; 1950 ; residential ) Collaborator: Eckbo, Royston and Williams (landscape architects) [Dr]

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Architecture, Modern -- 20th century -- California -- San Francisco Bay Area.
Institutional Buildings -- Schools -- public schools
Religious Buildings -- Churches

 

SERIES I. PERSONAL PAPERS. 1946

Physical Description: 1 folder
Box 1, Folder 1

Student Work, MIT 1946

 

SERIES II. OFFICE RECORDS n.d.

Physical Description: 4 folders.
Box 1, Folder 2

Public Relations: Rockwell & Banwell brochure n.d.

Box 3, Folder 1

Public Relations: Reid Rockwell Banwell & Tarics brochure n.d

Box 1, Folder 3

Photographs: Rockwell & Banwell n.d.

Box 1, Folder 4

Reference file: schools and churches n.d.

 

SERIES III. PROJECT RECORDS ca. 1948-1985

Physical Description: 2.75 Cubic Feet -

Arrangement

The Project Record series is arranged alphabetically by project.
 

Project Files A.

Physical Description: ***See Project Index
 

Photographs B.

Physical Description: ***See Project Index
 

Drawings C.

Physical Description: ***See Project Index