University of Oklahoma students flooded back to campus this week, attending classes on the North and South Ovals, the Research Campus and -- Main Street?

The building at 555 W. Main St. is the new home of the College of Architecture. Classes started there Monday, and with the exception of a few small challenges, the move from the main campus went off without a hitch.

"We actually have, in some ways, better facilities over here," said Nick Harm, director of the Division of Architecture.

The college moved out of its former home, Gould Hall on the South Oval, so that renovations could be made on the building that was sometimes considered the ugliest building on campus. The renovations and construction are expected to be completed July 31, 2010.

Nearly four dozen faculty and staff moved Aug. 1 into the administrative offices in the Downtown Shopping Center at the former home of Mardel's, 504 W. Main St. Staff also moved the architecture library this summer to space at 500 W. Main St.

Students started classes Monday across the street in the former home of Hobby Lobby and once home of TG--Y Family Center.

Architecture Dean Charles Graham said the move has gone surprisingly well.

Graham was appointed dean this summer, coming from Texas A--M University. He started in Norman Aug. 16. The move was mostly orchestrated before he arrived by Harm, who was interim dean for about the past six months, and the Provost's Office.

"The bigger issue for me has been getting up to speed on the Gould Hall renovation," Graham said.

About 500 students were affected by the move to Main Street, Harm said. They have studio or other classes in the location on Main Street. Large lecture classes are still on the main campus.

Only three of the five divisions in the college moved to the new location: Interior Design, Architecture and Construction Science. The two graduate divisions of Landscape Design and City and Regional Planning stayed in their offices in another building on campus. When Gould Hall re-opens, all five divisions will be housed together.

Graham said he trusts that when the students have adjusted to their new surroundings they will like it better, because the three divisions will be together.

"It wasn't that bad as we expected," third year architecture student Inha Kang said of the move to Main Street. She said the set-up in the new space is very nice.

Unfortunately, Kang said, there is only one bathroom for the whole building, and the third year students have to share one studio with the second and fourth year students.

A big part of her dread of the change to Main Street was the fear that it would be difficult to have classes both on the main campus and at the Main Street location. But she said it's turned out fine. She has a three-hour break between the classes at different locations.