Introducing the Latest Program Investment at the College of Design
The latest program evolution at the College of Design comes to the Department of Landscape Architecture, courtesy of the Riverside Site. Located on the scenic Willamette River to the north of Lawrence Hall, the Riverside Site expands the portfolio of the Landscape Architecture Department by providing a space reserved for research-informed teaching. The Riverside Site will be led by a newly appointed Tenure Track Faculty member within the Landscape Architecture Department. The new location and focus are emblematic of the University of Oregon's commitment to providing quality education and unique, transdisciplinary experiences for its students.
Become Outstanding in the Field with the College of Design
The latest addition to the College of Design's robust research space is an opportunity for the college to continue the work of researching holistic and innovative ways to design, grow and cultivate a sustainable future. The addition of a dedicated faculty member and a 60,000-square-foot lot will offer students at all academic levels a unique educational experience.
The College of Design would not be able to offer the updated resource without adding Ignacio López Busón to the program. López Busón, a Visiting Professor with the Department of Landscape Architecture, is an architect and landscape urbanist with international experience in award-winning sizeable projects across Europe, Asia, and the United States of America. His research is centered on the intersection of environmental science and computational tools in contemporary urban challenges. Ignacio is an expert on teaching methodology based on the merging of Geographic Information System (GIS) and computational generative design. In addition to his work, López Busón co-founded MAPS in 2014, a teaching and research initiative with a focus on the complexity of social, economic and natural systems in urban and rural settings. He is excited to join the Department of Landscape Architecture and bring his expertise to developing cutting-edge learning opportunities concerning edible landscapes and their integration in the built environments.
"Since I started collaborating with the UO College of Design and the Landscape Architecture Department in 2020, I have felt nothing but welcomed and supported by knowledgeable faculty and motivated students. Together, we have produced an impressive body of work in such a short time, and I can't wait to see what is coming, thanks to this long-term appointment," said López Busón. "Being able to conduct research related to climate change resilience in an institution like the University of Oregon, historically regarded for its sustainability and ecological design ethos, is a privilege and an incredible opportunity. Landscape architecture is a critical field in facing climate change challenges, starting from how we design our cities and their integration with nature. Multidisciplinary teamwork is key and the university is committed to creating the perfect framework for this type of research, especially regarding the Riverside Site… I look forward to many years of successful and productive collaboration with my colleagues and friends at UO."
With the addition of the Riverside Site to Landscape Architecture’s facilities and a research-informed teaching focus on edible landscapes, the college will continue to build on the department's storied history in this field and will be positioned for future success.
Riverside Site Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Riverside Site?
The Riverside Site is the natural evolution of the College of Design’s Landscape Architecture Department, adding research-informed teaching to an already robust and popular department and a new location for the continued advancement in research. The site features a 60,000-square-foot riverfront plot north of the railroad tracks.
While the project is in the formative stage, a site survey has been commissioned and everything is on track with this new location's development. The addition of resources and a dedicated faculty member will improve the research potential and lead to a deeper understanding of ways to develop an ecological design ethos focused on sustainability. The Department of Landscape Architecture has always been focused on integrating biological, ecological, economic, and social concerns and, with the addition of Ignacio López Busón and the Riverside Site, it will continue to drive the conversation forward and deliver new and impactful research for the university.
Why add the new site?
The College of Design, in the spring of 2022, facilitated a consensus-based visioning process about the impact of the Knight Campus phase 2 on the Landscape Architecture facilities, that included students, faculty, and staff. The results of the visioning process were shared with College of Design faculty and students for iterative input. The visioning process cited a desire to expand research-informed coursework, enhance student experiences, and add research space. The university subsequently pledged $1 million to assist in implementing the project, and both the university and college are fully committed to the success of the department, it’s programs, as well as the value the of the experience it affords students across the entire campus community. The college and university both recognize the department's need for greater space and investment to ensure positive outcomes for many years to come. The construction of new research space is necessary to support expanded research activities and a larger student body. To date, the University of Oregon’s pledge has only been used to conduct the site survey, and to begin the process of getting water out to the trees that were transplanted. The futher development of the site will be a collaborative effort with the School of Architecture and Environment, Landscape Architecture, and the college.
Where is the lot located?
The Riverside Site is located north of Franklin Boulevard and Lawrence Hall, near the Willamette River.