Ecology – UGA 1033 (1974, Category 4). The Ecology Building was constructed in 1974 to the southeast of Hardman Hall and is set back from Brooks Mall in a wooded area. This low brick structure houses the Institute of Ecology, which supports multidisciplinary research in such topics as marine and freshwater ecology, thermal ecology, radiation ecology, mineral cycling, and old field dynamics. The ecology program was largely the creation of Eugene P. Odum, a pioneer in the field of ecology, who established the Institute in 1961. An annex was added to the rear of the building in 1977. It houses the Institute of Natural Resources and the Marine Sciences Program.
The Ecology Building is a one-story structure composed of simple brick masses informally arranged around a central courtyard. Tinted glass window walls break up the brick forms and provide sharp contrast between solids and voids. The flow of space from inside to outside is emphasized. The contemporary vocabulary of the building is a distinctive architectural expression of the mid-1970s and a further development of the modern designs of the 1960s. The building has an informal and restrained presence.
The Ecology Building is significant for its association with Eugene Odum’s groundbreaking program as well as for its contemporary architectural expression.
