The new Portland facility builds on an already strong UO tradition in the state's largest city, said UO President Dave Frohnmayer.
Landmark structure houses University of Oregon's Portland programs
The University of Oregon's Portland presence boasts a home that matches the world-class quality of the university's programs.
The White Stag Block, a refurbished, 103,000 square-foot green facility, merges parts of the White Stag and Hirsch-Weiss, Skidmore Block, and Bickel Block buildings into a single complex at the west end of the Burnside Bridge.
The UO's White Stag Block gives the state's students and professionals even more hands-on opportunities in subjects such as journalism, architecture, digital arts, product design, law, and other continuing education courses.
The facility features state-of-the-art classrooms, labs and studios, and space for exhibits, lectures, and both private and public events for up to 200 people. A library and learning commons area with collaborative computing environments and The Duck Store, a branch of the university bookstore with a cafe, also call the facility home.
Doug Campbell and Anne Naito-Campbell, Naito family representatives, present a symbolic key to then UO President Dave Frohnmayer and Art DeMuro, owner of the Venerable Group that is redeveloping the White Stag Block as home of the University of Oregon in Portland.
The historic facility features the latest in sustainable technologies and green building design. In an effort to restore the buildings' turn-of-the-century appearances, crews replaced windows that had been bricked over for decades with environmentally friendly energy-efficient models. Less visible is a brand-new 10,000-gallon storm water retention tank designed to control the facility's runoff. On the inside, feats of engineering mastery make the most of natural light by replacing load-bearing and light-blocking walls with steel beams. Where shadows once abounded, light filters through open stairways, giving the interior a fresh, clean look in an energy-efficient manner.
The UO's White Stag Block isn't just LEED certified. It earned LEED Gold certification one of the toughest recognitions granted by the U.S. Green Building Council. To meet the council's stringent certification guidelines, officials emphasized five key areas in the renovation: sustainable site development; water savings; energy efficiency; materials selection; and indoor environmental quality.