Series 7 - Employment: University of Waterloo

3.9m textual, graphic and architectural records, publications

Upon leaving Halifax, Professor Richards taught for a year at the University of Toronto (see Series 8) before being hired as an associate professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo. In 1982, he was appointed dean for a six-year term. In addition to his broad administrative duties, including the hiring of five new faculty members, he coordinated a number of design courses, including the 1982 Thesis Programme and was instrumental in developing the School’s new first year programme, upper level option studios, revised technology stream, its fund raising campaign, computer laboratory, slide library, Rome facilities, exchange agreement with the Nanjing Institute of Technology (Southeast China University) and the guest lecture series. Professor Richards also served on the University of Waterloo’s Board of Governors Buildings and Properties Committee as it dealt with three projects – the William G. Davis Computer Centre, the Student Centre, and an addition to Burt Matthews Hall. He sat (1983-1987) on the Senate and four of its sub-committees and on the Faculty of Environmental Studies Executive Committee (1982-87). He also served on a number of professional bodies (see Series 13), was guest critic at Carleton University and the University of Toronto and in 1987 was appointed guest editor and curator at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal.

This series documents most of the activities described in the first paragraph above. The files are arranged in descending order of hierarchy, beginning with the Board of Governors. The work of Board and School committees is covered in considerable detail, as are the courses offered in so far as their facilitation and structure is concerned (there are few extant lectures). Some of the courses, such as 493 (Options Studio), include study tours to cities such as Montreal and Los Angeles. The courses are arranged by course number and chronologically, and photographs accompany some of the files. The series ends with files on lecture series, exhibitions, and university publicity.

Records in accession B2007-0011 are arranged by grouping of activity and within each of these, in chronological order. Material in accession B2019-0009 are arranged chronologically. Please see file listing for additional detail.

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