Rudolph Buildings Can Work

Marty Fugate, Arts and Entertainment Editor of the Sarasota Observer, has written an insightful article in this week’s Observer.

He asks: "Why destroy a building? Because it no longer works. Every building has a job to perform. That’s why it was built."

The article is about the Rudolph buildings at Riverview High School at their potential demolition.

Fugate says "Rudolph’s campus had an open plan. Openness is cost-effective. His idea: cut down on energy costs with solar lighting and cooling from the wind via breezeways. Rudolph’s old ideas sound a lot like a very new idea called sustainability."

Today’s concepts of sustainability look at reuse of buildings. Rudolph’s buildings at Riverview have can accommodate different interior space design - basically the building are boxes that take advantage of the light and breezes of the campus location. Modification to suit today’s education needs is not only possible but shoud be cost effective.

"Understand Rudolph’s idea and you can make his building work. If not for a school, something new. If not today, then tomorrow", Fugate says.

We believe it can work in the proposed new campus plan. All that is needed is the opportunity. Although maintenance of the building has been lacking over the years, the building does work and given a chance it will continue to work for many years to come.