Using the tectonic thesaurus, students have phtographed and otherwise documented the tectonic (aka, architectural, built) features of the MSU Billings campus. Students seek to document both good and bad, both successes and failures, both beneficial and harmful aspects of the campus.
The Structure
We have organized the Tectipedia as pairings of pictures and commentaries. They are additionally collected together according to the type of built form of physical feature (inspired by the pattern work of architect Chris Alexander [http://www.patternlanguage.com]. In the future, the forms will be arranged holomereotically (descending in sequence from largest whole to smallest part).
The Content
The thesaurus defines the present inventory of forms. We expect to add to this as more forms become visible to the collectors' eyes.
The Frames
Students identified commonplace beauties and built frames to highlight their presence as part of campus.
Great Things
Inspired by the idea of the Great Books program, I have begun to assemble photos of Great Things in the built world (for now) that constitute the inheritance of the human race and from which we can learn to become even more fully human. This section is admittedly controversial, and is not open to changes, though it may sometime be open to comment. For now it is meant to inspire and guide our efforts to enhance the observational, contemplative, and reflective potentials of the MSUB campus. Also in the future, I hope to include images of significant paintings, sculpture, and products of the crafts.
