University of Idaho Campus Photographs Collection

History

The Janssen Engineering Building (JEB) opened in 1950 as a replacement for the university’s original 1902 Engineering Building, which faculty had repeatedly condemned as “UNSAFE!” and “INADEQUATE!” Rising enrollment and growing demand in engineering fields created the need for a larger and more modern facility. The new building, originally designated as Engineering Classroom Unit 1, provided administrative offices, classrooms, teaching and research labs, and an auditorium. It was later renamed to honor Allen S. Janssen, a former engineering student and longtime Dean of the College of Engineering, who served from 1946 to 1967. Its completion marked a major shift in the university’s architectural direction, reflecting a move away from traditional prewar styles and toward International-Style Modernism.¹

Design

The JEB represents an early campus example of International-Style Modernism, a design approach that emphasized simplicity, function, and clean lines. The architects used steel-reinforced concrete and a minimalist aesthetic to convey the forward-looking attitude of the postwar era. The building’s streamlined appearance expressed the values of efficiency and progress associated with midcentury Modern design.²

Physical Description

The four-story, L-shaped structure consists of steel-reinforced concrete with a red brick veneer on the upper levels and rectilinear concrete paneling at the base. Horizontal ribbon windows with metal mullions define its main elevations, providing ample natural light and reinforcing its modern character. Entrances are recessed and framed by concrete paneling, with metal double-leaf doors and light-filled transoms. Clean lines, continuous window bands, and minimal ornamentation establish the building as a clear example of early Modernist architecture on the University of Idaho campus.³

Allen S. Janssen

Allen S. Janssen (1907–1983) was a Boise-born alumnus who earned a Bachelor of Architecture in 1930 and a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1933, followed by an M.S. in Civil Engineering in 1937 at the University of Idaho.⁴.

He began teaching in the Civil Engineering Department in 1931—before even finishing his degree—and continued as a respected instructor, testing engineer, and eventually dean of the College of Engineering from 1946 to 1967.⁵.

His career included four years of military service (1942–1946) in the U.S. Navy Seabees construction battalion in the South Pacific and the Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C.⁶ Following the war, he oversaw a major postwar expansion at UI—including planning the replacement of the outdated 1902 Engineering Building, later named in his honor.⁷

Janssen was widely respected for mentoring students, especially World War II veterans, and for reinforcing rigorous engineering standards and fundamentals in the curriculum. Colleagues and donors established the Allen S. Janssen Scholarship Endowment, which has since supported hundreds of engineering students—underscoring his lasting legacy in fostering excellence at the University of Idaho.⁸

Notes.

Images of Janssen Engineering Building