About
Architecture and Design Collection
UCSB professor David Gebhard (1927-1996) founded the Architecture and Design Collection (ADC) in 1963. Today it is one of the largest architectural archives in North America with over 250 collections and close to 2 million drawings, papers, photographs, models, decorative objects, and furniture. The focus of the collection is the design and architecture of southern California from the late 19th through the early 21st century.
The items highlighted on this website are just a small sampling of the materials preserved in the ADC. As staff continue to digitize items, more will be added to this website. For a complete list of our physical holdings, please see our collections page on our Museum website.
About the Art, Design & Architecture Museum
In a serene setting alongside a Pacific lagoon, the Art, Design & Architecture Museum at the University of California, Santa Barbara provides intimate access to art. Through rotating installations of its permanent collections along with special exhibitions and programs, the AD&A Museum is both a teaching museum, committed to the development of critical thinking and visual literacy in support of the University’s goals of education, research, and service, and a resource for the wider Santa Barbara community.
AD&A Museum Mission
Because we believe that art can transform individuals and communities, our mission is to stimulate research, support artistic practice, and generate original programming through the Art, Design & Architecture Museum’s collections. To achieve our mission, the AD&A Museum:
-Collects, preserves and conserves architecture and design archives, primarily from Southern California, and art works representing many cultures and traditions
-Presents exhibitions and educational programs that aim for international significance and resonate with regional audiences and concerns
-Stimulates research and scholarship in its renowned Architecture and Design Collection and in the Art Collections
-Through internships, provides opportunities to students for professional experience in museum and archive work
-Motivates faculty across disciplines to incorporate art, architecture, and design in research and class curricula
-Maintains and strengthens a vibrant network of supporters, colleagues, and collaborators, locally and internationally, to enhance understanding and enjoyment of art and design