The recent session of the Oregon Legislature was a victory for the University of Oregon, but the School of Architecture and Allied Arts building project will have to wait. “It was an ambitious goal for the school,” said Brook Muller, Interim Dean of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts, “and the UO had a number of important requests for capital improvement on the table.”
The school had requested $27 million for Phase I of a new building that would support innovative teaching and learning spaces for programs and students in architecture, art, product design, and other areas in A&AA. Ultimately, the project did not survive the budget winnowing process.
“Being on the Governor’s list of proposed projects was a very positive step,” said Rob Thallon, associate dean for administration who guided the capital construction request through the university. “The fact we made it on the list set some very important things in motion.”
Above: Winning entry from Envision the Future of A&AA student design competition.
The school conducted a yearlong process with internal and external constituents to define principles and scenarios that will guide the design of new spaces for A&AA. Students were invited to envision transformative learning settings for the future. Ideas were presented to the school’s Advisory Board in April.
Several ideas that have been generated also reflect the school’s broader educational goals of increasing collaboration and encouraging cross-disciplinary work. In the upcoming academic year, some of these ideas will be tested as pilot projects to further refine the kinds of spaces and tools that new facilities should contain. Progress on the school’s planning for a new building can be found on the Building a New A&AA blog. View this pdf to explore the top place student design entry.
The school’s partnership with Oregon State University in the research, design, and application of new wood products, such as cross-laminated timber, received state investment in this legislative session of $2.5 million. The joint program for the establishment of the National Center of Excellence for Advanced Wood Products Manufacturing and Design aims to boost the competitiveness of Oregon’s wood building products sector and bolsters the UO’s top ranking in sustainable design.
The university’s campaign includes additional fundraising goals for A&AA’s academic programs. “We’ve raised $30 million towards our $42 million campaign goal,” said Kat Walsch, senior director of development for the school. “We are 71% of the way to our goal. Now our focus is on raising funds to support our core mission—attracting and retaining the best faculty and students, and fostering excellence in teaching and research.” Learn more about the school’s campaign goals on the A&AA Office of Development site.