The Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall is a 20-storey academic complex designed by Philip H. Recto Architects for De La Salle University. It is located on a 1,700-square-meter lot between Taft Avenue and Fidel Reyes St. and in front of the Enrique M. Razon Sports Center. Rising to a height of 90 meters, it is said to be the highest educational structure in the Philippines. The building houses the General Education Department, the College of Education and the Asia-Pacific Center for Teachers’ Education and Development. The building was formerly referred to as the GE/CED/ACTED Building before being named in honor of Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC on September 28, 2005. The building was formally inaugurated on March 1, 2007 in celebration of Br. Andrew's 67th birthday. The building was opened for use in May 2006 for the first trimester despite not being completely finished at the time. Eduardo G. Fajardo, chairman of the Natividad Galang-Fajardo Foundation, Inc., contributed a significant amount for the construction of the building. Born to a poor family, Fajaro credits his success to education, and contributed various material and buildings to different schools.
Building layout
The building has nine floors with classrooms of different sizes: lecture rooms with the capacity to hold 120 students, regular classrooms that can hold at most 45 students, and small classrooms for 25 students. The Undergraduate Admissions Office was transferred from the St. La Salle Hall in July 2006 and is now located on the ground floor of the Gonzalez Hall. The extension of the University Library can be found on the second floor, and parking for 120 cars on the third to sixth floors. A cafeteria is also located on the sixth floor, a chapel on the 14th floor, and a study hall on the 15th floor. The College of Education occupies the 15th to 18th floors while the ACTED occupies the 19th to 20th floors. The system offices, where the university president holds office, occupy the topmost floor. There is also an auditorium on the 19th floor and a multi-purpose hall on the topmost floor. It is also home to the Br. J. Benedict Learning Resource Center and is for the exclusive use of the scholars of the Natividad Galang-Fajardo Foundation. The LRC was named after Br. J. Benedict FSC, who was last the Vice-President for Alumni Affairs of De La Salle University and was established through a grant from Foundation. The Center has a considerable collection of books and DVDs about the fields of technology, science, economics, psychology, sociology, and the arts.
Design
Recto considered the school's desire to preserve the existing neoclassical architecture of the campus as well as to have a modern-looking structure in his design. As a result, the architectural style he adopted is a modern interpretation of neoclassical design. It retains the beautiful form and proportion of classical architecture but is executed in modern lines and using modern materials such as high-reflective glass curtain walls and high-tech equipment. According to Recto, the predominantly vertical lines in the green and white facade signify the pursuit of lofty aspirations while bright colors in the interiors portray youthfulness, vibrancy and dynamism. The total design exudes an aura of simplicity, beauty and modernity.
Theater
The Br. Andrew Gonzalez Hall also houses a small theater, which supplements the larger ones on campus such as the Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium and the William Shaw Little Theater. The theater was initially named in recognition of Br. Andrew's mother, Rosario Arnedo Gonzalez, and the mother of Eduardo G. Fajardo, Natividad Galang-Fajardo. It was thus agreed that the theater be named Doña Rosario Arnedo Gonzalez-Natividad Galang Fajardo Theater. The administration eventually found this name to be too long and agreed to find a more suitable name. The DLSU Student Council is held a theater naming contest among the undergraduate students. The theater was eventually named as the Natividad Fajardo-Rosario Gonzalez Auditorium.
