The Visual Arts Performing Arts Building (VAPA), originally designed by Robertson Ward, was constructed in 1976. As the primary Visual Arts building on campus the north side of the building had become the primary place for material storage. This relationship worked for many years until the construction of the CAPA building on the North side of VAPA. What was once a gravel lot hidden at the rear of the building became the main entrance to one of the largest building projects in the colleges’ history. It became evident that a structure was needed to store all of the byproducts of the creation of art.
After numerous attempts to create yet another unique structure on the north side of VAPA it became clear that the best approach would be to design a structure that complemented the original building. Using massing derived from the original structure the new storage building is tucked into a hillside on two sides with a concrete walls articulated to match the original building foundations. The remaining two sides consist of vertical cedar siding which complete the simple box. Full height sliding doors and loading dock accommodate large pieces of work and bulky materials with ease.
