THE ARCHITECTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

CHERYL RAMBERG FORD AND ALLYN FORD ALUMNI CENTER

1720 East 13th Ave, Eugene, Oregon

Date: 2011 Architect of Record, Interior architect: Opsis Architecture Building architect and exterior:  TVA Audiovisual Systems: MAD Systems Interactive systems fabricator: Lexington, lex-usa.com Scale:  four stories; 60,000 sf.

In 2006, a user group, comprised of representatives from the Alumni Association, UO Foundation and Office of Development, formed to begin working on designs for an alumni center for the university. In May 2011, the Cheryl Ramberg Ford and Allyn Ford Alumni Center opened. In addition to its function as home of the UO Alumni Association, the Ford Alumni Center is a gateway to the university. Its tenants also include the University Office of Development, the University Foundation, and student orientation programs. The ground floor serves as a starting point for campus visitors and prospective students and includes interactive multi-media displays that inform about the university's history. Other spaces include an atrium, conference rooms, lounges, and flexible meetings spaces. Concurrently constructed with the Matthew Knight Arena, which reflects its exterior design, the alumni center rests above a large underground parking facility. The alumni center is registered for LEED Gold certification and is the winner of an International Interior Design Association Honor Award.  

Bibliography

Websites

• Ford Alumni Center, Opsis Architecture, http://www.opsisarch.com/blog/project/uo-ford-alumni-building/
• TVA Architects, http://www.tvaarchitects.com
• TVA Architects, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVA_Architects

News Articles

• "Roseburg couple makes $5 million dollar gift." Campaign Oregon, University of Oregon. 12 June 2006. http://giving.uoregon.edu/z/news_ford_2006.php. Accessed 23 Oct. 2006.
• "New alumni center to be front door to campus," Oregon Daily Emerald, 16 Oct. 2007,  http://dailyemerald.com/2007/10/16/new-alumni-center-to-be-a-front-door-to-campus/
• "Developments on Franklin will create new gateway to campus," Oregon Daily Emerald, 9 Apr. 2008 , http://dailyemerald.com/2008/04/09/developments-on-franklin-will-help-create-new-gateway-to-campus/
• "Location for planned alumni center moves closer to new arena," Oregon Daily Emerald, 3 July 2008,  http://dailyemerald.com/2008/07/03/location-for-planned-alumni-center-moves-closer-to-new-arena/
• "Alumni center will become welcome mat," Oregon Daily Emerald, 27 May 2010, http://dailyemerald.com/2010/05/27/alumni-center-will-become-welcome-mat/
• "Ford Alumni Center opens," Oregon Daily Emerald, 31 May 2011,  http://dailyemerald.com/2011/05/31/ford-alumni-center-opens/

Page author:  Edward H. Teague, ehteague@uoregon.edu

Research:  Jeffrey A. Toreson, Thomas Intern