The university held a ceremonial groundbreaking to begin a roughly two-year process of building the newest UO building, Tykeson Hall, the new home for the UO College of Arts and Science (UO CAS) as well as both career and academic advising.
The shovels broke ground on Friday, over three years after a $10 million donation was made by Willie and the late Don Tykeson, the couple the building will be named after. Tykeson Hall is estimated to be open for use by Fall of 2019.
“What we really wanted was a building that would support student success,” said Andrew Marcus, the Tykeson dean for arts and sciences. “I think of it as a homeroom for the modern student. Where do you go to find that place where you can always be advised, or have folks plan your future? This will be that place.”
The building is set to officially begin construction this winter at the site on 13th Avenue, between Chapman and Johnson Halls. The building will be 65,000 square feet, will stand five stories tall and will have about 340 classroom seats.
The building was designed by Portland-based architecture firm Office 52 and features a “modern, spacious design, combined with classic campus architecture,” according to the UO CAS.

“We were very interested in what the university is trying to do with regard to student success and reimagining how all of dispart programs […] can be brought together in a new integrated model,” said Isaac Campbell, principal architect for Office 52. “I think we have made a great building, I think it is going to be a landmark building on campus. I think it’s a building that people are going to be looking at for 100 years.”
The fundraising goal for Tykeson Hall was set at $39 million, and the total amount of funds raised as of October 5th is around $33 million. This includes the $10 million gift from the Tykeson family, $17 million that the state of Oregon will provide if the university can fundraise a total of $17 million, and roughly $6 million from additional donors.
“I really want our students and their families and their loved ones to know that the liberal arts are the path to lifelong success, and this building has been funded in part because our donors believe that,” said Marcus. “Don and Willie Tykeson, who are the major foundational donors, absolutely believe that the kind of things we do throughout the liberal arts are exactly what our students need in order to succeed.”
A portion of the site where Tykeson Hall will be built is currently a parking lot west of Johnson Hall. The current lot holds 42 spots, and after the construction of the building, all 42 spots will be replaced somewhere else on campus. Eleven of these new spots will reside in a new parking lot east of Johnson Hall according to Lisa Raleigh, the Director of Communications for UO CAS.
Follow Casey Crowley on Twitter: @CaseyCrowley55
 

Gallery • 1 Photos

Have you ever seen what goes into your tuition and fees? We often hear how tuition is $9,495 per year for residents, but then comes the $2,076 in fees. Why are they so high? It’s understandable that the university would charge us for maintenance and access fees for things like …