University of Idaho Campus Photographs Collection

History

The College of Natural Resources Building (CNR) was completed in 1972 to meet the growing needs of the College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Rangeland Sciences (CFWR). The college originated from a forestry department founded in 1909, became autonomous in 1917, and reorganized under the CFWR name in 1963. Previously housed in Morrill Hall, the program required expanded and updated facilities. Funding for the new building, totaling nearly $3.5 million, was secured through federal, state, and Regents’ sources after years of advocacy by the New Building Committee, initially chaired by John Howe and later by Frank Pitkin. The facility provided classrooms, offices, teaching and research laboratories, and space for faculty and graduate students, supporting the university’s land-grant mission and focus on agriculture, natural resources, and technical education.

Design

The building features a three-story rectangular form with a rebar frame and concrete block masonry. It employs red, brown, and black stretcher-bond brick combined with exposed aggregate concrete and wood, expressing a connection to its forestry focus. Monumental concrete walls, wood slats, and curtain walls with wood and glass panels accentuate the building’s design. Entrances use convex wood-clad vestibules and wood-paneled walls. Timber and plywood products serve as prominent exterior elements, reinforcing the building’s identity and purpose.

Physical Description

The structure has a flat roof formed by a coffered concrete slab. The west elevation features a concave concrete wall clad in vertical wood slats, accessed by wide steps leading to an open veranda. The east elevation includes a second-floor balcony that functions as a pedestrian overpass. The north elevation curtain wall incorporates alternating wood and glass panels set in metal muntins beneath a deep overhang supported by concrete columns. Entrances consist primarily of metal and glass doors, with some metal utility doors.

Notes

Images of Natural Resources Building