Jackson Street Building (Visual Arts Building) – UGA 40 (1961, Category 1). Located along Jackson Street is the Mid-Century Modern style Jackson Street Building that formerly housed the Department of Art. The Jackson Street Building was constructed in 1961 as the Visual Arts Building and home of the Department of Art under the direction of the well-known painter and University art professor Lamar Dodd. The 53,000-square-foot building was designed by the Atlanta architect Joseph Amisano and won national awards for innovative design.
In 1996, the department became the Lamar Dodd School of Art, and in 2008 the school vacated the building for a new home on East Campus. The building served as transitional space until 2011, when a $9.9 million renovation—a model of environmentally sustainable design—converted it into the new home of the College of Environment and Design. The building received LEED Gold certification and is the first on campus to have rooftop solar panels, which were installed on the south-facing slopes of the roof’s skylights.
The long, low building has one story exposed on its primary Jackson Street facade and two stories toward its back. The building has a concrete structure, glass walls, and high vaulted ceilings. Interior spaces are open, spacious, and light-filled, and the overall design is restrained and commercial in character. It retains integrity and may be individually eligible for listing in the National Register. The building is assessed as a Category 1 resource.
