Is This You: Mystery Photo Unveiled

November 03, 2009

In the spring of 2008, the college’s alumni magazine, Perspective, ran an archived photo of two unknown students working on an architecture project. It was captioned, “Is This You?”

For alumni Timothy Gibson and Rob Robert, the answer was “yes.”

“The funny part is that I recognized the tee-shirt first. I said to myself that I had a shirt like that and then I realized that I am the person in the photo,” Gibson said.

The photo was taken around 1986 at the president’s house, where a class of senior architecture students was constructing a gazebo in the backyard as part of a “Design/Build” special studies course.

In the picture, Robert is holding down a piece of lumber while Gibson saws a notch in the log.

According to Gibson, they didn’t have any power tools on site.

“I do recall that it took forever to cut the logs with a hand saw and it was difficult to hold them and cut at the same time,” he said.

Professor emeritus Ron Haase, who taught the class, said that the photo “shows them doing some hard work.”

This hard work was evident throughout the entire project.

Linked to the Crisers

From the very beginning, the gazebo was intimately linked to UF society. The president at the time was Marshall Criser, and it was his wife, Paula, who came up with the idea of building a gazebo for the backyard.

“The class knew we would design and build something but they didn’t know what until Paula Criser suggested it,” Haase said.

Once a gazebo was selected as the project, the next step was deciding what kind of gazebo to build. A competition was held and students voted on the winning design.

This was an exciting time for many of them.

“Architectural students love to build things but their design curriculum seldom allows room for it,” Haase said. “In their senior year they may have a few elective credits and they often do pottery or wood bowl turning and other hands-on crafts such as this.”

Gibson said that his first thought when they began the project was “Finally, we get to build something!”

However, he was also a little worried.

The challenge

“I remember that as each of us presented ideas for the gazebo, we were concerned about how to actually build it. Not many of us had any practical construction skills, myself included,” Gibson said.

It did turn out to be a test for the class.

“I remember that it was challenging to develop a concept for the gazebo as a group,” Gibson said. “Architects are usually individualists not group thinkers. The project was equally challenging in the field since there was no clear leader for the project. We had to figure all of this out ourselves.”

Haase said that a lot of hard labor also went into the project.

“The supporting columns were telephone poles that had to be cut to size and then placed in deep holes,” he said. “Some of the ‘finer’ work, such as the cupola on top, was done in the DCP wood workshop. Bending the boards into the round ‘moon doors’ was a difficult task.”

However, the students did not back down.

“Students were quick to volunteer for tough jobs, whether girls or boys,” Haase said.

A rewarding experience

These tough jobs were interspersed with welcome breaks, often brought about by Paula Criser, who would bring the class cookies and iced tea.

According to Haase, when the project was finished, it was Paula Criser who insisted that the class get credit “in memoriam,” with a bronze plaque inside the structure.

President Criser also took an interest in the gazebo, dedicating it at a press conference, and arranging to have the plaque installed. The gazebo still stands, and the plaque is still there, as well.

“We all thoroughly enjoyed our work and we were very proud of the results,” said Haase. “Over the years the building and grounds people have done a great job maintaining the gazebo. I believe it has a new roof now.”

From a student’s perspective, Gibson said that building the gazebo was an important milestone in his career.

“One of the most memorable things for an architect is to see his vision realized in a built project,” Gibson said. “We spend so much time designing projects on paper or today on a computer that you forget what it is like to see the actual space or building. The gazebo project was an early part of this experience.”

The architects today

Haase, Gibson and Robert are all still involved in architecture today. Haase retired as professor emeritus in 1995, but is still practicing architecture with his son David as partner. Gibson is a principal at DLR Group, an architecture, engineering and planning company in Orlando. Robert is an associate at Bermello, Ajamil and Partners Inc., a design and project delivery firm in Miami.

Gibson recalls the question that floated through his mind after completing the gazebo.

“I wondered, after we finished the project … if it would stand the test of time,” he said.

Once again, the answer was “yes.”