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Holien and Buckley Architectural Drawings, Plans and Renderings

 Collection
Identifier: SWA-Holien-Drawings

Scope and Content

The collection is arranged into two series: Drawings & Plans and Renderings.

The drawings and plans series consists of over 80 sets of architectural drawings and plans including floor plans, elevations, sections, details and watercolor renderings. About half of the designs were created by the firm Edward Holien and William Buckley; the other half were completed by Buckley after Holien's death in 1967. One set of plans is by Madge G. Buckley. Drawings span the dates 1952-1989, with the bulk of them dated 1960-1973. Most of the plans are for public buildings, particularly buildings at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico and St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Designs for commercial offices, church buildings and some residences are also included.Architectural styles are predominantly the Pueblo Revival and Territorial Style.

One of Holien and Buckley's major campus projects was the University of New Mexico Fine Arts Center and Concert Hall (now called Popejoy Hall), which developed in phases between 1960-1966. Plans for St. John's College of Santa Fe include a laboratory building (1963), a men's dormitory (1963), a women's dormitory (1965), as well as the Holzman Music and Fine Arts building (1972).

The renderings (added to collection March 2013) date from 1920-1926 and include elevations, cross sections, floor plans, and details. The eleven renderings were created by Edward O. Holien while attending University of Minnesota and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the early 1920s. All are hand drawn and many are painted with watercolors. The works were donated to the Center for Southwest Research at the University of New Mexico by Van Dorn Hooker, who worked for the architectural firm Meem, Holien, and Buckley from 1951 to 1956. Many are in fragile condition and are encapsulated.

Dates

  • 1952-1989
  • Majority of material found within 1960-1973

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.

Biographical Information

Edward Obert Holien Edward Obert Holien was born on April 28, 1902, in St. Paul Minnesota. As an architect, he built a prestigious career, both academically and professionally. At the University of Minnesota, Holien received a B.S. in Architecture, and completed an M. A. in Architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Holien was Instructor of Architecture at North Dakota State University, from 1923-1925. In 1926, he received the Moorman Domestic Traveling Scholarship from the University of Minnesota, and traveled extensively through Europe, becoming a finalist for the Paris Prize competition in the same year.

Edward Holien began his professional career in 1926 working for Collens & H.C. Pelton in Riverside, New York. At the same time, he continued teaching and was a design critic at New York University. From 1930 to 1932, Holien designed for Reinhard & Hosmeister of Radio City, New York, where he helped design the original Rockefeller Center.

Relocating to Denver, Colorado, Edward Holien was chief draftsman and designer for Burnham Hoyt, 1933-1942. His tenure there was interrupted by a one year temporary Professorship in Architecture at the University of Minnesota, 1934-1935. In 1942, he spent a year as chief architect for G. Meredith Musick in Alliance, Nebraska, where he helped design the neighboring airbase. Returning to Denver in 1943, he worked for John K. Monroe as chief draftsman and designer.

Finally settling in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1944, Edward Holien became an associate in the firm of John Gaw Meem, Hugo Zehner and Associates. There he mastered both the Spanish Pueblo Revival Style and the Territorial Style popular in New Mexico with the same technical precision and passionate attention to detail as was practiced by his mentor John Gaw Meem. By 1949, Holien was made a full partner and chief designer in the firm. On Meem's retirement in 1959, Holien formed a partnership with William Buckley.

Edward Holien, known as "Bung" to his friends because of his small stature, died on March 24, 1967.

William R. Buckley William R. Buckley was born on February 12, 1918 in Chicago, Illinois. He followed in the footsteps of his father, George H. Buckley, who was an architect by profession. Buckley graduated from the University of Illinois in 1936 with a B.S. in Architecture. He worked as a draftsman in his father’s Chicago firm, 1940-1944. Following that, he worked for a year at the architectural office of Wilson & Co., also in Chicago. Back at his father's firm, Buckley became a junior partner, remaining in the Chicago area until 1948.

Moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1948, Buckley found work as a draftsman for architect W.C. Kruger. The turning point in his career came later in 1948 when he was employed by the firm Meem, Zehner, Holien & Associates. John Gaw Meem, the chief architect of the firm, built his architectural philosophy around the preservation and revival of both the Spanish and Pueblo styles indigenous to New Mexico. Buckley, whose wife Madge G. Buckley was also an architect, became chief draftsman in Meem's firm in 1952. After the retirement of Hugo Zehner, he was later offered a junior partnership. He stayed with the firm until Meem retired in 1959, when Buckley and Edward Holien partnered to take over the business.

Holien and Buckley made major contributions to building designs at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1961 to 1967. These included the Fine Arts Center (1961), and plans for the Student Health Center and University College, both completed between 1966-1967. When partner and chief designer Edward Holien died in 1967, Buckley continued on in their Santa Fe office for several years.

William R. Buckley died in Santa Fe, New Mexico on April 5, 2000, at the age of 82.

Source Hooker, Van Dorn. Only In New Mexico: An Architectural History of the University of New Mexico; The First Century. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2000.

Edward Obert Holien

Edward Obert Holien was born on April 28, 1902, in St. Paul Minnesota. As an architect, he built a prestigious career, both academically and professionally. At the University of Minnesota, Holien received a B.S. in Architecture, and completed an M. A. in Architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Holien was Instructor of Architecture at North Dakota State University, from 1923-1925. In 1926, he received the Moorman Domestic Traveling Scholarship from the University of Minnesota, and traveled extensively through Europe, becoming a finalist for the Paris Prize competition in the same year.

Edward Holien began his professional career in 1926 working for Collens & H.C. Pelton in Riverside, New York. At the same time, he continued teaching and was a design critic at New York University. From 1930 to 1932, Holien designed for Reinhard & Hosmeister of Radio City, New York, where he helped design the original Rockefeller Center.

Relocating to Denver, Colorado, Edward Holien was chief draftsman and designer for Burnham Hoyt, 1933-1942. His tenure there was interrupted by a one year temporary Professorship in Architecture at the University of Minnesota, 1934-1935. In 1942, he spent a year as chief architect for G. Meredith Musick in Alliance, Nebraska, where he helped design the neighboring airbase. Returning to Denver in 1943, he worked for John K. Monroe as chief draftsman and designer.

Finally settling in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1944, Edward Holien became an associate in the firm of John Gaw Meem, Hugo Zehner and Associates. There he mastered both the Spanish Pueblo Revival Style and the Territorial Style popular in New Mexico with the same technical precision and passionate attention to detail as was practiced by his mentor John Gaw Meem. By 1949, Holien was made a full partner and chief designer in the firm. On Meem's retirement in 1959, Holien formed a partnership with William Buckley.

Edward Holien, known as "Bung" to his friends because of his small stature, died on March 24, 1967.

William R. Buckley

William R. Buckley was born on February 12, 1918 in Chicago, Illinois. He followed in the footsteps of his father, George H. Buckley, who was an architect by profession. Buckley graduated from the University of Illinois in 1936 with a B.S. in Architecture. He worked as a draftsman in his father’s Chicago firm, 1940-1944. Following that, he worked for a year at the architectural office of Wilson & Co., also in Chicago. Back at his father's firm, Buckley became a junior partner, remaining in the Chicago area until 1948.

Moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1948, Buckley found work as a draftsman for architect W.C. Kruger. The turning point in his career came later in 1948 when he was employed by the firm Meem, Zehner, Holien & Associates. John Gaw Meem, the chief architect of the firm, built his architectural philosophy around the preservation and revival of both the Spanish and Pueblo styles indigenous to New Mexico. Buckley, whose wife Madge G. Buckley was also an architect, became chief draftsman in Meem's firm in 1952. After the retirement of Hugo Zehner, he was later offered a junior partnership. He stayed with the firm until Meem retired in 1959, when Buckley and Edward Holien partnered to take over the business.

Holien and Buckley made major contributions to building designs at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1961 to 1967. These included the Fine Arts Center (1961), and plans for the Student Health Center and University College, both completed between 1966-1967. When partner and chief designer Edward Holien died in 1967, Buckley continued on in their Santa Fe office for several years.

William R. Buckley died in Santa Fe, New Mexico on April 5, 2000, at the age of 82.

Source

Hooker, Van Dorn. Only In New Mexico: An Architectural History of the University of New Mexico; The First Century. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2000.

Extent

6 Drawers (1.50 lin. ft.), 1 unprocessed box

Abstract

The Holien and Buckley Architectural Drawings, Plans and Rendering collection consists of drawings and plans and color renderings by Edward Holien and William R. Buckley for public buildings and private residences primarily in New Mexico.

Related Archival Material

Edward O. Holien Student Drawings. Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico

Separated Material

Holien and Buckley job files housed separately in CSWR.

Processing Information

1 box of drawings donated by Madge Buckley in 2017, William Buckley's wife, is unprocessed. Is located in Meem Room. Materials may be unorganized. No further description is available at this time.
Title
Finding Aid of the Holien and Buckley Architectural Drawings,Plans,and Renderings 1952-1989
Status
Completed
Author
Ellen Evans-Colburn
Date
© 2007
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451