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Inventory of the Sam Davis Collection, 1967-2006
2006-10
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Table of contents
Title: Sam Davis collection
Dates: 1967-2006
Collection number: 2006-10
Creator:
Davis, Sam, 1946-
Collector:
Environmental Design Archives
Collection Size:
2 cartons, 1 tall box, 1 shoe box
Repository:
Environmental Design Archives. College of Environmental Design.
University of California, Berkeley.
Berkeley, California
Abstract: The Sam Davis Collection is comprised of material based primarily on his professional career.
Physical location: Environmental Design Archives
University of California
Berkeley, California, 94720-1820
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Collection open for research.
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the
Curator.
[Identification of Item], Sam Davis Collection, 2006-10, Environmental Design Archives. College of
Environmental Design. University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, California.
The Environmental Design Archives acquired this collection in 2006.
Collection was transferred, sorted, and packed by donor.
In 1964 Davis was accepted into the architecture program at UC Berkeley where he would spend the rest of his professional
career. In 1967 he spent a year abroad at the University of London's Bartlett School of Architecture and returned to Berkeley
for his final two years of undergraduate studies. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1969, delivering the commencement
address to his fellow graduates.
Following his undergraduate career, he attended Yale University for graduate work in architecture, earning a Masters in Environmental
Design in 1971. While there, he began his professional teaching career as a design critic and instructor. He also began some
commission work, working with Marc Appleton and Anthony Farmer in a design group called Projects. The trio completed a number
of projects including the interior design of the Wilbar's Boutique stores of the eastern United States, the renovation of
Carriage House in New Haven, and a plan for the Dauntless Marine Condominium complex in Essex, Connecticut.
Davis returned to Berkeley as an Assistant Professor of Architecture back in the fall of 1971. He quickly became a well-known
teacher of architecture and design, earning Berkeley's Distinguished Teaching Award in 1974. From 1973-1975 and 1985-1989,
he served on the campus' Academic Senate Committee on Teaching, and he became chair of the committee in fall 1989. Davis'
teaching would earn him the 1995 Excellence in Education Award from the California Council American Institute of Architects.
Ultimately, Davis tenure at Berkeley would span 35 years and he would retire in 2006.
A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he served as President of the AIA East Bay and on the Board of Directors
of AIACC. His professional work, mostly in California, was focused on affordable housing, housing for those with special needs,
and facilities for the homeless. His work on homeless facilities includes a 100-bed adult shelter for Contra-Costa County
and several projects for Larkin Street Youth Services in San Francisco. Among these is the nation's first housing specifically
for homeless youth with HIV and AIDS. Other work includes multi-family affordable housing in Albany, Davis, West Sacramento,
and Bay Point. Professor Davis was part of design/build teams that won two competitions to replace the aging University Village
in Albany for the University of California. Davis received design awards from the AIA and Progressive Architecture as well
as several housing competitions. Publications include three books on housing:
The Form of Housing,
The Architecture of Affordable Housing, and
Designing for the Homeless: Architecture that Works.
Source: College of Environmental Design website.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Sam Davis Collection is comprised of two cartons and two small boxes of material based primarily on his professional career.
The bulk of the collection is made up of drawings and photographs of his many projects, most of which are private residences
and public housing projects in California. Also included in the collection materials are copies of his published books and
several articles, as well as a few papers from his studies at UC Berkeley and Yale. There are teaching materials, including
numerous slides used for architecture courses at UC Berkeley. Design award and competition materials include those related
to Davis' first place awards for University Village at Albany and the Roosevelt Island Housing Competition in New York, as
well as numerous certificates and awards from various professional organizations.
Personal papers include collected student work and a portfolio from UC Berkeley and the Bartlett School of Architecture in
London, as well as samples of finished projects from his graduate work at Yale. Also included are a few photographs, taken
by Davis during his undergraduate years at Berkeley in the late 1960s.
The professional papers contain incoming correspondence, Davis' writings on architecture and design, and clippings reviewing
Davis' professional career. Correspondence contains invitations to speak, professional advice, requests for materials or
submissions, notes of appreciation, and private recruitment letters from other architecture departments. Davis' writings cover
a variety of architectural topics, including public housing, product and interior design, teaching methods, and reviews of
architectural books. Also included are reviews of Davis' books, his planned speaking, presentation, and conference engagements,
and articles that highlight his career accomplishments.
The faculty papers document Davis' long career as a Berkeley professor. Administrative papers, course materials, student work,
and merit reviews of Davis' work make up the significant series. Records document Davis' committee membership and career
advancement. Course materials consist of syllabi and design problems used in teaching. Many examples of student work are collected:
slides of completed student models, as well as written projects.
Office records include published material on Davis' projects and two portfolios of Davis projects. The first highlights his
early work, and the second collects projects completed with his last partner Lisa Joyce. Newspaper and magazine clippings
highlight his public and affordable housing work, his early work using solar and other energy efficient methods, and interior
design. The first portfolio collects materials that Davis periodically organized early in his career. Many projects are represented,
including some projects that are without project files. Finally, the Davis-Joyce portfolio of apartment complexes, private
residences, and interior design is maintained.
The project files include files, photographs, drawings, and slides from studies, competitions, and commissions for apartment
complexes, and private residences. Many of his projects are located around Berkeley and Davis, CA. Projects in this series
include University Village in Albany, CA, New York's Roosevelt Island competition, the early Yerba Buena Alternative Study,
and Russell Park in Davis, CA.
The collection is organized into five series: Personal papers, Professional papers, Faculty papers, Office records, and Project
records.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
University of California, Berkeley. School of Architecture.
University of California, Berkeley--Planning.
Architects--California.
Architecture--California.
Architecture and solar radiation.
Housing.
Architecture--Study and teaching--California--Berkeley.
Campus planning--California--Berkeley.
Campus planning--California--Davis.
Architectural drawings.
Faculty papers.
Photographs.
The following is a list of architectural projects from the Davis collection. For instructions on interpreting the Project
Index, see
The Guide to the Project Index at
http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/cedarchives/pindex/guide.htm .
The Project Index list 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]
- 101 Lombard Invited Competition (San Francisco, CA; 1981; residential-multi) Collaborator: Marquis Associates (architects); Photographer: Xiques, P. [Dr, Ph]
- Arden/Mayfair Commercial Center Competition (Davis, CA; 1985; mixed-use) Collaborator: Treib, M. (architect) [Ph]
- Arlington Farms (Davis, CA; 1987; residential-multi) Photographer: Lidz, J. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Assisted Care and Aftercare Facility (San Francisco, CA; 1998; mixed-use) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect); Photographer: Abraham, R. [Dr, Ph]
- Berkeley Opera Company: Set for The Devil and Kate (Berkeley, CA; 1988; cultural) [Ph]
- Biscayne West Housing Competition (Miami, FL; 1976; mixed-use) Collaborator: Glass & Shen (architects) [Dr, Ph]
- Blum M. & L., renovation (Berkeley, CA; 1989; residential) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect); Photographer: Irion, C. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Brumfield Residence (Frazier Park, CA; 1972; residential) [Dr, Ph]
- California State Office Building Competition: Energy Efficient (Sacramento, CA; 1977; governmental) Collaborator: Bazjanac. V. (architect); Photographer: Super, R. [Dr, Ph]
- California State Office Buildings: Designing for Energy Efficiency, study (Berkeley, CA; 1981; governmental) [Ms]
- Central Contra Costa County Emergency Homeless Shelter (Concord, CA; 2000; residential-multi) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect) [Ms, Ph]
- Creekside Affordable Housing (Albany, CA; 2002; residential-multi) Photographer: Abraham, R. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Dauntless Marina Condominium (Essex, CT; c.a. 1972; residential-multi) [Dr, Ph]
- Design: Interior structure (1973; residential) Photographer: Young, C. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Design: Law offices (Marshfield, MA; 1985; commercial) Photographer: Vanderwarker, P. [Ph]
- Design: Playground (New Haven, CT; 1971; recreational) Projects (architects) [Ph]
- Elaine Noll Court (Baypoint, CA; 1995; residential-multi) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect) [Dr, Ph]
- Episcopal Homeless Services: Service Center, renovation (San Francisco, CA; 2002; residential-multi) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect) [Ph]
- Fiberglass Housing System (Berkeley, CA; n.d.; residential) [Ms, Ph]
- Harris, S. (Berkeley, CA; 1979; residential) Photographer: Super, R. [Ms, Ph]
- Holly Courts (West Sacramento, CA; 1996; residential-multi) Photographer: Abraham, R. [Dr, Ph]
- Kirsten F. & C., addition (Lafayette, CA; 1992; residential) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect); Photographer: Irion, C. [Dr, Ph]
- Lark-Inn for Youth (San Francisco, CA; 2000; residential-multi) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect); Photographer: Abraham, R. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Lebby Optometry Office (Thousand Oaks, CA; 1978; commercial) Photographer: Super, R. [Ph]
- Lebby Optometry Office (unbuilt) Northridge, CA; 1984; commercial) [Ph]
- Marascuilo, B., addition (El Cerrito, CA; 1973; residential) [Ph]
- Modular vacation home (1972; residential) [Dr]
- New Orleans Museum Competition (New Orleans, LA; 1983; cultural) Collaborator: Marquis Associates (architects); Photographer: Xiques, P. [Ph]
- Nodine Terrace (Yonkers, NY; 1972; residential-multi) Collaborator: ELS [architects] [Ph]
- Pajaro Solar Condominiums (Davis, CA; 1982; residential-multi) Photographer: Super, R. [Ms, Ph]
- Passive Solar Demonstration House (Big River, AZ; 1977; residential) Photographer: Super, R. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Residential Interior Solutions and Their Implications for Fire Safety (Berkeley, CA; 1974-1975; residential) Collaborator: Stein, B. (graphics) [Ms]
- Reynolds Aluminum Mobile Home Competition (1973; residential) Collaborator: Stein, B. (architect) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Reynolds Aluminum Mobile Home Competition (1975; residential) Collaborator: Glass & Shen (architects) [Dr, Ph]
- Roosevelt Island Competition (New York, NY; 1975; residential-multi) Collaborator: ELS (architects); Photographer: Severin, M. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Summertree Solar Housing (unbuilt) (Sacramento, CA; 1979; residential-multi) Collaborator: Bazjanac. V. (architect) [Ms, Ph]
- Tandem Commercial development (unbuilt) (Davis, CA; 1987; commercial) [Ph]
- Trident Energy Systems Solar Office Building (unbuilt) (Davis, CA; 1980; commercial) Photographer: Super, R. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Tuscany Villas & Villa Calabria (Davis, CA; 1994; residential-multi) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- University of California, Berkeley: Computer Center Programming and Feasibility Study (Berkeley, CA; 1984; educational) Collaborator: Quattrocchi & Bonacci; Photographer: Rushton, S. [Ms]
- UC Berkeley: Faculty Club Facility Study (Berkeley, CA; 1990; educational) [Ms]
- UC Berkeley: Faculty Club Seaborg Room (Berkeley, CA; 1991; educational) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect); Photographer: Irion, C. [Ph]
- UC Berkeley: Lawrence Hall of Science Environmental Design Study (Berkeley, CA; 1986; educational) Collaborator: Quattrocchi, M. [Ms]
- UC Berkeley: Mathematical Science Research Institute (Berkeley, CA; 1983; educational) Photographer: Xiques, P. [Dr, Ph]
- UC Berkeley: Naval Architecture Building, Institute of Transportation Studies (Berkeley, CA; 1989; educational) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect) [Ms, Ph]
- UC Berkeley: University Hall Environmental Design Study (Berkeley, CA; 1978; educational) Collaborator: Ellis & Wittman [Ms, Ph]
- UC Berkeley: University Village at Albany Step 2 Competition (Albany, CA; 1996; residential-multi) Collaborator: Fisher Friedman Associates with Joyce L. (architects) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- UC Berkeley: WEB (Workstations in Evans Basement) (Berkeley, CA; 1986; educational) Photographer: Lidz, J. [Ms, Ph]
- University of California, Davis: Arboretum Village Competition (unbuilt) (Davis, CA; 1989; commercial) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- UC Davis: Football stadium (unbuilt) (Davis, CA; 1987) [Ph]
- UC Davis: Inclusion Area Programming and Site Study (Davis, CA; 1981; residential-multi) Collaborator: Glass & Shen (architects) [Ms, Ph]
- UC Davis: Inclusion II Competition/LaRue Park (Davis, CA; 1987; residential-multi) [Ph]
- UC Davis: Russell Park Student Family Housing (Davis, CA; 1985; residential-multi) Collaborator: Glass & Shen (architects); Photographer: Citret, M. [Dr, Ph]
- Walnut Terrace Affordable Senior Housing (Davis, CA; 2003; residential-multi) [Ms]
- Westgate Village (Woodland, CA; 1991 ; residential-multi) [Dr, Ph]
- Wilbar's Boutiques (New Haven, CT; 1970-1971; commercial) Collaborator: Appleton & Farmer [Ms, Ph]
- Willow Oak & Fox Creek (Davis, CA; 1992; residential-multi) Collaborator: Joyce L. (architect); Photographer: Sutton, J. [Dr, Ph ]
- Yale University: Kiosk/bus stop (unbuilt) (New Haven, CT; 1971; educational) Collaborator: Projects (Architects) [Ph]
- Yerba Buena Alternative Study (San Francisco, CA; 1975; residential-multi) Collaborator: Marquis Associates (architects) [Ms, Dr, Ph