Lee Hall
History of the Lee Hall Complex
The names Lee I, Lee II, and Lee III are not an example of an underactive imagination. They are, in fact, three parts of a very carefully planned whole. The original Lee Hall, constructed in 1957-58 as the Structural Science Building, was designed by the late architect and dean of Clemson architecture, Harlan McClure. The building's design was a reflection of McClure's collaborative, open approach to education.
In subsequent decades, Lee Hall became the home of a number of affiliated departments and programs, including the departments of Art, Landscape Architecture, City and Regional Planning, Construction Science and Management (CSM), Real Estate Development, and the Ph.D. program in Planning, Design and the Built Environment (PDBE). Lee Hall was expanded in 1975 to create the addition now known as Lee II, which included the "Grad Tower," the former home of the graduate studios. It was expanded again in 1991.
With the growth of each of the professional degree programs housed in Lee Hall, and space becoming a real issue, it became apparent that it was time for a major change in the Lee Hall complex. A design team for Lee III was established, managed by McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture of Greenville in association with lead design architects Thomas Phifer and Partners from New York City. Holder Construction Company of Atlanta served as construction managers.
In 2010, the National Park Service placed the original Lee Hall on the National Register of Historic Places, and in contrast that same year, the ground was broken for Lee III, a 55,000-square-foot building that is now the new home of the graduate architecture studios, faculty and administrative offices, as well as Landscape Architecture and Art studios. The building expansion was dedicated in 2012 in keeping with Clemson’s focus on sustainability. Lee III is zero-energy ready and features a 30,000-square-foot roof garden, external and internal skylights, geothermal wells, and natural ventilation, and is often referred to as the building that teaches.
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Facts about Lee III
- 2011 – LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council
- 2012 – AIA National Honor Award
- 2013 – AIA New York Merit Award
- 2013 – AISC IDEAS2 National Award
- 2014 – Architectural Digest named Lee III “one of the best in new university architecture around the world”. Nine buildings were so named worldwide – only two others in the U.S.
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Lee III Awards and Recognition
- 2011 – LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council
- 2012 – AIA National Honor Award
- 2013 – AIA New York Merit Award
- 2013 – AISC IDEAS2 National Award
- 2014 – Architectural Digest named Lee III “one of the best in new university architecture around the world”. Nine buildings were so named worldwide – only two others in the U.S.
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Quotes About Lee III
“Architecture matters. This building is a building that teaches its students, faculty and visitors remarkable lessons about the power and beauty of architecture. It is a wonderful place to be, and supports a lively, collaborative, creative culture of high-performing individuals.” - Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, Former Director, School of Architecture
“We are now poised to realize fully the vision of Lee Hall as ‘the building that teaches.’ In it, students will learn from their teachers, from each other and from the building itself because the new Lee Hall will be a model of sustainable design for the 21st century.” - James F. Barker, FAIA, President Emeritus of Clemson University and Professor Emeritus in the School of Architecture
“Lee III offers fresh insight into the ways that a building embodies the higher aspirations of the activities within. It is a building that is a place for learning, collaboration and ecology. A building that teaches. One building. Lee Hall.” - John Jacques, Professor Emeritus of Architecture
Visit
On maps, Lee Hall is often notated as Rudolph E. Lee Gallery, which is an art gallery housed in Lee I. Lee I is the original building built in 1958; Lee II was added in the 1970s and 90s, and Lee III opened in 2012. Room numbers in Lee indicate which part of the building the room is located. For example, Lee 2-111 (the large auditorium) is Room 111 in Lee II. Click here to view maps of the interior of Lee Hall.
Address to the Lee Hall Complex: 323 Fernow St, Clemson, SC 29631
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Traveling to Clemson
Travel by Car
Take I-85 to exit 19B. Exit toward Clemson University. Follow Highway 76/28 west for approximately 12 miles. Exit off Highway 76/28 onto Highway 93 south toward Clemson University. Weekday and weekend visitor parking availability differs, so be sure to plan accordingly when traveling to campus by car. Find your bearings with the Clemson Campus Map.
Travel by Air
Greenville-Spartanburg Airport (GSP) is the nearest international airport. Driving from GSP to Clemson takes approximately one hour.
Other regional airports include Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta. Both Charlotte and Atlanta are about two and a half hours from Clemson by car.
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Parking at Clemson
Visitors may park in metered spaces in designated areas across campus. We encourage visitors to pay the meter for at least two hours to accommodate the length of the campus tour.
Details for visitor parking can be found on the Campus Parking Map.
