Walk onto the Texas A&M campus in College Station, and you can’t miss it. The Langford Architecture Building rises from the landscape with concrete cantilevers that jut outward like shelves stacked against the Texas sky. This striking structure doesn’t ask for your approval. It commands attention.
Built in 1977, the Langford architecture building represents more than just a place where students learn to design buildings. It embodies a specific moment in architectural history when designers believed concrete could transform how people experienced space.
What You’ll Learn: This article explores the history and significance of Texas A&M’s Langford Architecture Center, examining its brutalist design philosophy, the legacy of its namesake Ernest Langford, and why this building matters to architecture students today.
The Man Behind the Name
Ernest Langford, class of 1913, headed the architecture department from 1929 to 1956. His 27-year tenure shaped Texas A&M’s architecture program into one of the best in the country. But his influence extended beyond campus boundaries.
Langford earned recognition as the “father of College Station,” helping get the city incorporated in 1938 and serving as mayor from 1942 to 1965. He connected academic excellence with civic development, creating a legacy that goes beyond textbooks and blueprints.
The building that bears his name reflects this commitment to architectural education. The College of Architecture, established in 1905, is the oldest in Texas and one of the largest in the United States, with nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
A Building That Teaches Architecture
Brutalist Design Philosophy
Designed by Jack R. Yardley, class of 1958, the center’s bush-hammered Brutalist aesthetic reflects the influence of Kallmann, McKinnell and Knowles’s Boston City Hall (1968), with rising floors projecting dramatically outward.
Brutalism gets its name from “beton brut,” French for raw concrete. The style emerged in the 1950s and 1960s as architects embraced honest materials and bold forms. They rejected decoration in favor of structural expression.
The Langford architecture building showcases these principles through:
- Exposed concrete surfaces that reveal the building’s construction process
- Dramatic cantilevers creating deep shadows and visual weight
- Bush-hammered texture adding tactile interest to concrete walls
- Projecting floors that emphasize horizontal layers
Three Buildings, One Vision
The Langford Architecture Center comprises three interconnected buildings. The Architecture Building, built in 1962, was incorporated into the Langford Architecture Center in 1978, creating a comprehensive educational complex.
Langford Building A serves as the administrative and academic heart. It houses essential college services including the dean’s office, student services, and the departments of architecture and landscape architecture and urban planning. Students working late on projects treat this building as a second home.
Langford Building B holds the largest gathering spaces. The Preston Geren Auditorium hosts various large-scale events for the College of Architecture, accommodating up to 300 people. The building also features the Woodshop and the Langford Makerspace, where students access 3D printing and fabrication equipment.
Built by Notable Architects
Jack R. Yardley designed the building, and HKS in Dallas built it. This connection matters because HKS has grown into one of America’s largest architecture firms. The firm’s involvement with the Langford architecture building demonstrates how Texas A&M graduates have shaped the profession.
The building was designed to accommodate 1,500 students. Today it serves a much larger population, testimony to both its flexible design and the growth of architecture education in Texas.
Why Brutalism Matters Today
A Teaching Tool
Few architecture schools house their programs in buildings that exemplify a specific architectural movement. The Langford architecture building becomes a living case study. Students analyze its forms, study its structural systems, and debate its aesthetic merits.
Recent exhibitions have explored this connection. An exhibition at Wright Gallery examined brutalism and compared architecture including Le Corbusier’s La Tourette with the building that hosts the exhibition: Texas A&M’s Langford Architecture Center.
Students created scale models comparing brutalist buildings from the 1960s through 1980s. They studied how architects working in different countries applied similar principles, revealing both shared vocabulary and local adaptations.
Living Laboratory Features
The building’s design supports active learning through:
| Feature | Purpose | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Spaces | Large-scale project development | Mirrors industry working conditions |
| Wright Gallery | Student exhibitions and shows | Professional presentation experience |
| Azimuth Café | Social gathering space | Builds community and collaboration |
| Technical Reference Center | Research and archives | Access to architectural history |
Building B features a living wall made of automotive industry scrap metal that houses native Texas plants. Developed in 2019 as an interdisciplinary project, this installation demonstrates how old buildings can incorporate new sustainable technologies.
The Brutalism Debate
Brutalist architecture generates strong reactions. Some people find these buildings oppressive and cold. Others appreciate their honesty and sculptural power.
The Langford architecture building provokes this same debate. One observer noted feeling “at once comforted and intimidated,” describing it as a building that draws you in while making you feel small. That tension reflects brutalism’s complex relationship with human scale.
Critics argue that brutalist buildings age poorly. Concrete stains, mechanical systems require expensive updates, and maintenance costs exceed original estimates. These practical concerns have led many institutions to demolish their brutalist structures.
Defenders counter that these buildings represent important architectural experiments. They argue for preservation and thoughtful renovation rather than demolition. The recent scholarly interest in brutalism suggests attitudes are shifting.
Modern Facilities in Historic Context
The College of Architecture balances historical preservation with contemporary needs. The college fosters innovation through cutting-edge facilities like the Automated Fabrication & Design Lab, the Makerspace and the Woodshop.
These resources give students hands-on experience with:
- Digital fabrication tools
- 3D printing technology
- Traditional woodworking equipment
- Computer-aided design systems
- Virtual reality applications
The juxtaposition works. Students learn architectural history while working with technology that didn’t exist when the Langford architecture building was designed. This creates productive tension between past and future.
Campus Legacy and Location
The main Langford building was built on the site of the campus museum, which until 1965 displayed fossils found near the Brazos River and an Egyptian mummy. That mummy now resides at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
This detail reminds us that campus buildings occupy layers of history. Each structure replaces something that came before, contributing to an evolving educational landscape.
The Langford Architecture Center sits at 798 Ross Street in College Station. Its location on the main campus makes it easily accessible to students across disciplines. Architecture students interact with engineering, business, and liberal arts majors, creating the interdisciplinary connections that define contemporary architectural practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Langford Architecture Building constructed? The Langford A building was constructed in 1977, though the center incorporates an earlier 1962 building.
Who designed the Langford Architecture Building? Jack R. Yardley, a 1958 graduate, designed the building, and HKS in Dallas constructed it.
What architectural style is the Langford Building? The building exemplifies brutalist architecture with exposed concrete, dramatic cantilevers, and bush-hammered surfaces.
How many students does the building serve? The College of Architecture has nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students who use the facility.
What departments are housed in Langford A? The building houses the dean’s office, student services, and departments of architecture and landscape architecture and urban planning.
Conclusion
The Langford architecture building stands as more than an educational facility. It represents a specific vision of how architecture should look, function, and communicate. Its brutalist design challenges students to think critically about materials, form, and spatial experience.
Ernest Langford’s 27-year leadership helped turn Texas A&M’s program into one of the best in the country. The building bearing his name continues that tradition, housing one of the largest architecture programs in America.
Whether you find the building beautiful or forbidding, it accomplishes what good architecture should: it makes you think. It refuses to fade into the background. And for students learning to design the built environment, that’s the most valuable lesson of all.
Featured Snippet: The Langford Architecture Building at Texas A&M, constructed in 1977, exemplifies brutalist architecture through dramatic concrete cantilevers and bush-hammered surfaces. Designed by Jack R. Yardley and built by HKS, it houses Texas’s oldest architecture college, serving nearly 2,000 students annually.
