By El Gaucho, October 14, 1955
The first general purpose classroom and office building on the UCSBC campus will begin construction this month, according to the University Office of Architects and Engineers.
The building will be located east of the Student Union, between the Union and the Library. Completion date is February, 1957.
Three roads on the main campus will be cut off sometime this week, as the contractor of the new classroom building moves in his equipment to start construction, it was announced by Capt. Floyd Bernard of the University Police.
The main road through the campus will be blocked at the intersection of the road in front of the gymnasium, and traffic will be routed around the gym-swimming pool area. The east-west road between the Library and Bldg. 431 will be closed near the construction area. Bldg. 431 will be accessible by car through the use of the parking lot road. The road in front of the Student Union will end near the Music Building, now under construction.
James I. Barnes is the contractor for the classroom structure, the fifth permanent building to go up on the campus. The building was planned by Architects Smith, Powell and Morgridge of Los Angeles. It will be 47,900 square feet in size and will include 25 classrooms, the largest of which will seat 220.
In addition to faculty and departmental offices, the structure will include office space for Provost Clark Kuebler and two academic deans. The entire project will cost $1,000,000, which also covers equipment and landscaping.