The summer of 2021, David P. Billington’s “archive” (50+ years of collections related to his scholarship and teachings) was dismantled: A good portion of the archive (as much as I could fit) was absorbed into my office space, colleagues took some items, and some items were thrown away. I have documented where everything went in the files found on this Google drive.
On a more personal note, the months that I spent emptying this space were bittersweet. Over the course of about 10 years many memories were born in that space. For example, in that space David and I mentored many teaching assistants of his infamous classes such as CEE262, and we also worked on the Felix Candela book and exhibition. I am so grateful to have had such opportunities. As I distributed the materials that David left behind, I saw this as spreading seeds, hoping that the joy of structural art researching, teaching and learning extend beyond the Princeton walls.
It’s the end of an era, but the beginning of something new and wonderful as well!