The alumni house is intended to have a trellis crown that will feel like there's a garden on the roof. The vocabulary of the university architecture is becoming contemporary and the alumni house had to fit into that. You're trying to build something somewhat timeless. A lot of buildings on campus are stuck in [the] 60's and don't have legs to move forward.

I got involved in the mid-80s through an interview and selection process. The whole thing just went away, but it came back three or four years ago. I was involved not only in the design and oversight, but also with the fundraising.