Contacts

Henri T. de Hahn
805-756-1316
hdehahn@calpoly.edu

I would like to offer a few thoughts from the point of view of the Architecture Department for we are very pleased to be the recipient of this generous pledged bequest.

For me it has been a great pleasure to engage with the donor, a man who – despite not practicing architecture today – remains so firmly committed to its impact on society. Throughout our conversations he has reiterated his belief in the importance of an architectural education. It is magical and inspiring that he has remained so committed to what we at Cal Poly believe to be one of the more holistic educations any undergraduate student can receive. The donor has told me time after time that his professional success is a measure of his early architectural education one which was humanistic, visionary, and informed by an ability to take risks. Everyone in the Architecture Department – administrators, faculty, staff, and students - are proud that these qualities of the polytechnic curriculum which had such an impact on the donor continue to this day.

In the contemporary world, the profession of architecture is rapidly changing. It is important that architecture, as a form of inquiry, remains deeply connected to social and cultural issues. The donor’s bequest commitment sends our department a clear message: he believes that architects, and in particular our graduates, have an important role to play in the future of the world’s communities. His trust in the department’s ability to prepare the future generation of thoughtful professionals is a fascinating, compelling and truly rewarding proposition.

Central to the donor’s vision are our students, in fact they are the reason he has asked for anonymity, insisting that the focus of his generous gift will be their future and not his past. We are proud to have three representatives of the department’s student body with us this morning. I hope that each of them will see this gift as a reminder of what a great profession they have embarked upon.

While the donor is not with us today, I would like to conclude with what I believe is central to the reason that he has chosen to give this extraordinary gift: that lack of funds should not cause any student to forego cherished dreams of becoming an architect.

Henri T. de Hahn
Architecture Department Head