I graduated from U of Oregon in 2003 with a B.Arch....
Are there anything particular you wanna know about the program?
The program bases in the Eugene campus and has a building in downtown Portland for the Urban Design/Architecture program. As a student, you are free to select if taking your studio in PDX or in Eugene. Faculty-wise, profs in PDX has more practical experience and better crit connections. While I feel profs in Eugene are more academic base. Portland and Eugene is approx. 100 miles apart....and both programs are actually belong to the same Architecture Dept... close connections between 2 campus but just running at different locations.
Oregon is also good at its landscape architecture and interior architecture as well. Architecture students are free to take any classes from those department (for selective courses). I myself earned a minor of Landscape Architecture, which I found quite self enriching.
Travel aboard program: Rome Program is a very popular summer program, so is the Denmark International Studies program. They have a summer Kyoto Landscape program. I took 2 summer studio in Denmark and in Kyoto...they are all facinating.
The down side of the school is being in Eugene....it's a very small town without much urban context (museum, great downtown). You might feel it's in the middle of no where to be honest. As a student, I found it's good place to concentrate for study. Of coz they have good football team, basketball and track team for your leisure time to watch them playing.
Another good thing about Eugene, it's not that difficult to find yourself a good size of 1 bedroom apartment for about $600 a month, RIGHT NEXT to the campus.
I just wanna know how design oriented is the program and what are the career prospects for a U of O Barch graduate? Are there lots of firms in Eugene willingly to employ such a student?
And by the way cameron sinclair, i'm taking advantage of the archinect to research about schools. in the first place, one of the many reasons that archinect is there for us is to let us know more about schools.
The faculty members and the approach of the school has been changing quite rapidly since I graduated. I feel UO used to focus on traditional, practical side of architecture (for example you have to fit in programs and some square footage requirement in your studio design) Nevertheless, Structure and Environmental control system have been always the representative strength of the school. With new faculties coming in, the approach has a little switch towards idea and conceptual design, which is actually good thing for nowadays. UO has just hired a new dean as well, you might want to research abit for her background.
Architecture firms in the city of Eugene however are not very inspiring. It is a good start for student intern on the other hand. There are pratical training courses which you allow student to work in the local offices during the semester. If you have zero architecture working experience, you would be able to learn for sure even the architecture office not creating much inspiring works.
In terms of the learning environment, I think it's really up the students on how much wanting to pursue. That means how much self motivation do you have? Small college town, pretty and green campus... For me, I gained a great deal from the program.
http://www.gastd.com is my portfolio (haven't updated for 3 years)... You might be able to get better idea of what I did in UO.
I graduated in 2000...UofO is a great program if you want to work in the Northwest. It's well respected, and I have been told by more than one firm, that UofO graduates are preferred over U of Washington or WSU graduates even by firms in Seattle. However, I have no idea what the general consensus of UofO is nationally.
As far as the curriculum goes, I believe it's excellent in that it was a very balanced education. Like most schools, the education is centered around the studio, but the technical classes are very valuable, and provided me with a great deal of practical knowledge.
Unlike other schools, the studios are NOT graded (its pass/fail) which has its positives and negatives. I found that it forced me to assess my work on my own terms, in other words I was my own worst critic, and therefore I got out what I put. This created a less competitive environment, but that meant you had to be extremely self motivated.
The campus itself is small but beautiful in the spring and fall. Oregon is a great place to be if you like the outdoors, and you can't help but become a die-hard duck fan. It is a good party school with a unique laid back atmosphere.
It's not easy to get in, but it's not hard either. Be sure and focus on CREATIVE work when making your portfolio, but remember that they are not looking for architectural skill or plans, but something that shows your creative ability, whether it be painting, sculpture, film, or even dance. Just show that you have a creative mind.
The hard part is actually staying in school. I remember starting with about 80+ first year architecture students, and I think only a dozen graduated in 5 years. Ask Paul P. He dropped out...of course he ended up doing something much cooler!
If you go, I strongly recommend spending your final year in Portland, which is an entirely different experience, and is a good way to get your foot in the door with Portland firms.
More UO grads than I thought. I got my B.Arch there in 2004. Gary and JAG are pretty spot on. I would really try to find more about who's teaching there currently. Putting Theodoropolis as dean was something of a step backward. Eugene is a mixed bag, but Portland is close if that's what you need.
Theodoropolis as Dean? oh boy. Don't be too put off by that though, Appleseed I agree with Appleseed and Gary...It's about what you put into it, and do the research on who is teaching now (not so much about the dean).
I know there were some good professors that retired about the time I graduated, so I'm sure that has a factor on the quality of the staff now (good and bad). I met with Michael Fifield last year, who was the former Dean, but he said he would rather just teach design studios. Having run the programs at Penn and Arizona State, I think it says a great deal that he would stay on at Oregon as just a regular professor.
Nono...Theodoropolis is the department head of Architecture. Frances Bronet is the new Dean of School of Architecture and Allied Arts.
Soulikeit: To remain in the program is not as hard as you thought...
To add, I heard there are some changes with the placement of structure classes. It used be a series of 4 classes: Structure I,II,III and Building Enclosure. Now the school combine Structure I&II into one class. Also, in order to register the class, students are required to take placement tests. I'm not entirely sure about the detail...but that placement test seem going to ensure students are up to a certain level before taking the classes, for that structure series are the most difficult classes to get through I think. Otherwise, other classes are fun....
meh, whatever. Dean or department head. She is the one who influences the direction of the program. Replacing Fifeld (who was never really around anyways) has had an impact, considering her omnipresence. Her stepping into those boots, and then Glen and Anca stepping out, is not a positive. I think she is a fine administrator-type, but her lack of wanting to push anything interesting/creative/forward-thinking/etc. is only stagnating the program.
I had a fine experience at the UO, BUT I had some great professors, some of who are no longer part of the faculty. Just check into the current status and work.
I actually just visited UO over spring break and looked around their architecture building. I really liked the campus and Eugene seems like a nice little college town. I was pretty disapointed with the the architecture program itself however. The facilities are the worst that I have seen, and the work itself was pretty embarrassing. The studios are literally caged off from the corridors with wire mesh. It seemed like it would be a pretty uncomfortable space to work in. The building is old, poorly lit and the studio furniture/desks are old.
I guess it really depends on what you want to do after college. Most of the work was very conservative in design and the models and drawings I saw were of pretty poor craft/quality. I can see that the practical sides of architecture were stressed and they seem to be big on "green" architecture, but it is at the expense of innovation in design. I think if design is something that is important for you, there are a lot of other programs out there that take design a little more seriously.
Yes...Lawrence Hall is a JOKE...I'm not suprised that it has the worst facilities, but I actually kind of enjoyed it. There is a certain freedom to mess around in the building. You have had some good feedback, and ultimately I think it's a decision about where you are coming from and where you want to work. As I mentioned earlier. If you want to work in the Northwest, Oregon is your best option.
Anyone know anything* about the University of Oregon School of Architecture department?
* see no swear words, Steven ward
they have a website, google links to them... joking aside. it is a pretty good school and their annual lecture symposium is kind of funky.
are you using archinect to research all the schools in the US and UK? in addition to odd threads about the British?
yes. what do yo want to know?
I graduated from U of Oregon in 2003 with a B.Arch....
Are there anything particular you wanna know about the program?
The program bases in the Eugene campus and has a building in downtown Portland for the Urban Design/Architecture program. As a student, you are free to select if taking your studio in PDX or in Eugene. Faculty-wise, profs in PDX has more practical experience and better crit connections. While I feel profs in Eugene are more academic base. Portland and Eugene is approx. 100 miles apart....and both programs are actually belong to the same Architecture Dept... close connections between 2 campus but just running at different locations.
Oregon is also good at its landscape architecture and interior architecture as well. Architecture students are free to take any classes from those department (for selective courses). I myself earned a minor of Landscape Architecture, which I found quite self enriching.
Travel aboard program: Rome Program is a very popular summer program, so is the Denmark International Studies program. They have a summer Kyoto Landscape program. I took 2 summer studio in Denmark and in Kyoto...they are all facinating.
The down side of the school is being in Eugene....it's a very small town without much urban context (museum, great downtown). You might feel it's in the middle of no where to be honest. As a student, I found it's good place to concentrate for study. Of coz they have good football team, basketball and track team for your leisure time to watch them playing.
Another good thing about Eugene, it's not that difficult to find yourself a good size of 1 bedroom apartment for about $600 a month, RIGHT NEXT to the campus.
Thanks a lot garywg.
I just wanna know how design oriented is the program and what are the career prospects for a U of O Barch graduate? Are there lots of firms in Eugene willingly to employ such a student?
And by the way cameron sinclair, i'm taking advantage of the archinect to research about schools. in the first place, one of the many reasons that archinect is there for us is to let us know more about schools.
we're all there for you.
Sure. There are dozens of firms in Eugene, but not many of them are very inspiring.
oh are u from U of O
yeah, I went there.
so how was the portfolio and the GPA and the SAT thingy? was it hard to get in? was the environment conducive enough for learning?
What's your current background - soulikeit
The faculty members and the approach of the school has been changing quite rapidly since I graduated. I feel UO used to focus on traditional, practical side of architecture (for example you have to fit in programs and some square footage requirement in your studio design) Nevertheless, Structure and Environmental control system have been always the representative strength of the school. With new faculties coming in, the approach has a little switch towards idea and conceptual design, which is actually good thing for nowadays. UO has just hired a new dean as well, you might want to research abit for her background.
Architecture firms in the city of Eugene however are not very inspiring. It is a good start for student intern on the other hand. There are pratical training courses which you allow student to work in the local offices during the semester. If you have zero architecture working experience, you would be able to learn for sure even the architecture office not creating much inspiring works.
In terms of the learning environment, I think it's really up the students on how much wanting to pursue. That means how much self motivation do you have? Small college town, pretty and green campus... For me, I gained a great deal from the program.
http://www.gastd.com is my portfolio (haven't updated for 3 years)... You might be able to get better idea of what I did in UO.
I graduated in 2000...UofO is a great program if you want to work in the Northwest. It's well respected, and I have been told by more than one firm, that UofO graduates are preferred over U of Washington or WSU graduates even by firms in Seattle. However, I have no idea what the general consensus of UofO is nationally.
As far as the curriculum goes, I believe it's excellent in that it was a very balanced education. Like most schools, the education is centered around the studio, but the technical classes are very valuable, and provided me with a great deal of practical knowledge.
Unlike other schools, the studios are NOT graded (its pass/fail) which has its positives and negatives. I found that it forced me to assess my work on my own terms, in other words I was my own worst critic, and therefore I got out what I put. This created a less competitive environment, but that meant you had to be extremely self motivated.
The campus itself is small but beautiful in the spring and fall. Oregon is a great place to be if you like the outdoors, and you can't help but become a die-hard duck fan. It is a good party school with a unique laid back atmosphere.
It's not easy to get in, but it's not hard either. Be sure and focus on CREATIVE work when making your portfolio, but remember that they are not looking for architectural skill or plans, but something that shows your creative ability, whether it be painting, sculpture, film, or even dance. Just show that you have a creative mind.
The hard part is actually staying in school. I remember starting with about 80+ first year architecture students, and I think only a dozen graduated in 5 years. Ask Paul P. He dropped out...of course he ended up doing something much cooler!
If you go, I strongly recommend spending your final year in Portland, which is an entirely different experience, and is a good way to get your foot in the door with Portland firms.
Hope this helps...
More UO grads than I thought. I got my B.Arch there in 2004. Gary and JAG are pretty spot on. I would really try to find more about who's teaching there currently. Putting Theodoropolis as dean was something of a step backward. Eugene is a mixed bag, but Portland is close if that's what you need.
Theodoropolis as Dean? oh boy. Don't be too put off by that though, Appleseed I agree with Appleseed and Gary...It's about what you put into it, and do the research on who is teaching now (not so much about the dean).
I know there were some good professors that retired about the time I graduated, so I'm sure that has a factor on the quality of the staff now (good and bad). I met with Michael Fifield last year, who was the former Dean, but he said he would rather just teach design studios. Having run the programs at Penn and Arizona State, I think it says a great deal that he would stay on at Oregon as just a regular professor.
it can't be that bad. Is it really hard to remain in the program?
Nono...Theodoropolis is the department head of Architecture. Frances Bronet is the new Dean of School of Architecture and Allied Arts.
Soulikeit: To remain in the program is not as hard as you thought...
To add, I heard there are some changes with the placement of structure classes. It used be a series of 4 classes: Structure I,II,III and Building Enclosure. Now the school combine Structure I&II into one class. Also, in order to register the class, students are required to take placement tests. I'm not entirely sure about the detail...but that placement test seem going to ensure students are up to a certain level before taking the classes, for that structure series are the most difficult classes to get through I think. Otherwise, other classes are fun....
anything more to add anyone? yes. i sound desperate
dude, just apply to all the places you are thinking about, and see what happens. it ain't that hard.
wouldn't hurt if you took heed to the responses too. most are well considered, and well intentioned.
meh, whatever. Dean or department head. She is the one who influences the direction of the program. Replacing Fifeld (who was never really around anyways) has had an impact, considering her omnipresence. Her stepping into those boots, and then Glen and Anca stepping out, is not a positive. I think she is a fine administrator-type, but her lack of wanting to push anything interesting/creative/forward-thinking/etc. is only stagnating the program.
I had a fine experience at the UO, BUT I had some great professors, some of who are no longer part of the faculty. Just check into the current status and work.
I actually just visited UO over spring break and looked around their architecture building. I really liked the campus and Eugene seems like a nice little college town. I was pretty disapointed with the the architecture program itself however. The facilities are the worst that I have seen, and the work itself was pretty embarrassing. The studios are literally caged off from the corridors with wire mesh. It seemed like it would be a pretty uncomfortable space to work in. The building is old, poorly lit and the studio furniture/desks are old.
I guess it really depends on what you want to do after college. Most of the work was very conservative in design and the models and drawings I saw were of pretty poor craft/quality. I can see that the practical sides of architecture were stressed and they seem to be big on "green" architecture, but it is at the expense of innovation in design. I think if design is something that is important for you, there are a lot of other programs out there that take design a little more seriously.
thanks drizzler and appleseed.
Yes...Lawrence Hall is a JOKE...I'm not suprised that it has the worst facilities, but I actually kind of enjoyed it. There is a certain freedom to mess around in the building. You have had some good feedback, and ultimately I think it's a decision about where you are coming from and where you want to work. As I mentioned earlier. If you want to work in the Northwest, Oregon is your best option.
anyone have an opinion on the masters of interior design program at UO? is it the same deal as architecture?
ok :(
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