The University of Oregon revealed the renderings for the new Knight Campus for Accelerated Scientific Impact on Friday.
President Schill and Patrick Phillips, the Executive Director of the new campus, announced the development of the Knight Campus in the Giustina Ballroom of the Ford Alumni Center to a crowd of approximately 200 people including faculty, alumni and community members.
The new campus was funded by Phil and Penny Knight’s donation of $500 million in October 2016 and a $50 million donation from the Oregon state legislature. The new campus, set to open in 2020, will house research facilities and resources for students to collaborate and innovate more than they ever have before and invite acclaimed faculty to the University.
The university has been working for the past eight months to create a design for the facility. UO hired architects in January of 2017 from the Portland-based firm Bora Architects and the New York-based firm Ennead architects and sent them across the country along with faculty and researchers to gain inspiration from other leading Universities’ designs.
“The building wraps in around itself, it’s highly transparent, has double height with mezzanines that brings everyone much closer together,” said architect John O’Toole of Bora Architects.
According to Phillips, “A whole wing of the building that is going to support graduate internship building” and undergraduate research as well. The goal is to expedite research to impact not only the local community, but the world.
Schill spoke to the crowd, expressing the excitement of this new project. Though the buildings are beautiful, Schill stated, “It’s about what’s inside, [and] the future of our community.”
There will also be a skybridge across Franklin Blvd to unite the facility and serve as shelter from the rain when walking to and from classes. President Schill stated the new addition will “maximize our potential to educate future leaders.”
Patrick Phillips presented a video to the crowd that displayed models and flyovers of the new building.
“Most of our students maybe won’t be here when it opens, but it’s part of their legacy,” Phillips said.
Following the presentation, UO hosted a gallery-style open house where pictures and blueprints of the new facility were displayed on easels. 3D models of the buildings were available for viewing as well.
Gary Welch, a UO alumni who graduated in 1971, said, “The innovation is awesome. To see it in my alma mater is fantastic. They’re trying to do something here that is really special.” Welch went on to state how UO’s science program will improve. “You don’t take leaps like this very often. This is an enormous leap.”
Here are more images of the Knight Campus:
The University of Oregon released this video to announce the design:
Will Campbell contributed to the reporting of this article.
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