We all love The Office. We mostly love our academic buildings. Sometimes our buildings have character of their own–and the characters from our favorite show share some uncanny similarities.
Morrill – Michael Scott
Oh, Morrill. Like Michael Scott, we’re sure you had potential. There’s probably a nice, organized blueprint about you somewhere, but it’s now gathering dust. The answers to our questions is that there are no answers.
Hasbrouck – Dwight Schrute
Hasbrouck may seem quite normal on the outside, if not a bit off-putting. It’s that fence, though. Why do you make it so hard to get to class, Hasbrouck? Or should I say Dwight?
I.L.C. – Jim Halpert
New, clean, brightly lit, good-smelling, with an over-abundance of places to sit and it’s own cafe. The Integrative Learning Center knows what’s up. It looks even better when juxtaposed to Dwight – sorry, Hasbrouck, which it coincidentally sits right next to.
Studio Arts Building – Pam Beesly
Although it’s one of the furthest buildings from the center of campus, the Studio Arts Building is beautiful on the inside and out.
Integrated Science Building – Nellie Bertram
Extremely ambitious, a bit cold, but ultimately likeable, Nellie and the Integrated Science Building are new and work like a charm. They don’t need directions, they tell you what to do.
Graduate Life Science Lab – Angela Martin
Exclusive. If you don’t belong, don’t even bother going there.
Bowker – Andy Bernard
Just like Andy incessantly reminds everyone he went to an Ivy League school, Bowker constantly reminds you that it should probably be on an Ivy League campus. Since it’s full of music on the inside, there is no other building that would suit Andy so well.
Machmer – Oscar Martinez
Oscar is established as the most intelligent member of the office – underappreciated perhaps, but brilliant. Rational and sensible, you can always trust Oscar, just like you can trust Machmer.
Fine Arts Center – Kevin Malone
Kevin and the Fine Arts Center may not be the best buildings to look at, but don’t judge too quickly. There may be a few surprises inside.
Tobin – Stanley Hudson
Stanley does not suffer fools. Everyone is a fool in Stanley’s eyes. Tobin teaches its students to become like Stanley.
Isenberg – Ryan Howard
Let’s be honest, if Ryan went to UMass, he’d be in Isenberg. All he really does want, in the end, is success. And he will do anything to get there.
Alfond – Kelly Kapoor
Kelly tries so hard to be her own person, but at the end of the day she and Ryan do belong together. Alfond isn’t even it’s own building – it’s just an attached section of Isenberg.
Bartlett – Erin Hannon
Bartlett tries so hard. Erin tries so hard. Unfortunately, they both fail very badly. Erin’s indecision about her relationship with Andy (or Gabe or Pete) and her own life goals mirror Bartlett’s indecision with its temperature – frustrating all of us.
Skinner – Phyllis Vance
Quite matronly, but subtly badass, Phyllis and Skinner are very much undervalued.
Thompson – Toby Flenderson
Actually a sad, sad series of buildings. Who thought it would be a good idea to put a small square attached to a large square on the top of a hill? Sure, it may have seemed like a good idea at one point, but there’s now too much office space and not enough classrooms. Even though it’s only one floor, it’s so easy to get lost too. It’s just annoying.
Herter – Meredith Palmer
Herter’s not a very attractive building, and you could probably walk past it without even noticing that you did. The inside’s not that great either.
Engineering Quad – Creed Bratton
Unless you actually go over there and are in the know, nothing makes sense. Secretly, it houses some of the most brilliant minds at UMass.
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