Lowman Hall

South Carolina State University

Designed in 1917 by South Carolina's first African American architect and built by his students, this former dormitory remains a prominent cultural icon on an historically black, public university campus. When the decision was made to repurpose it as the main administration building, however, it had been profoundly neglected for a decade and much had been lost or irreparably damaged. Through archival research and conversations with older alumni, by cobbling together remaining building elements, and by simplifying the new architectural program, the design team was able to rehabilitate the building and restore the original architect's straightforward, elegant vision, for posterity.