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University of Oregon
Eugene, OR

Owner:
University of Oregon

Architect:
SRG Partnership Inc.

Contractor:
Lease Crutcher Lewis

Image Credits:
Lara Swimmer Photography

Provided design services for a new 131,000-sf classroom and office building for the business school and University. Chris Thompson worked closely with SRG's lead design Principal, Kent Duffy, to realize his vision in the creation of a dramatic four-story atrium filled with natural light in which tree-like steel columns support a barrel vaulted roof and a curved multi-story staircase beneath a circular skylight. The exposed structure involved intimate coordination with the architectural team, who wanted to use the steel as an integral feature of the design. The use of steel, frequently penetrated by mechanical systems and thereby requiring close collaboration among the design team members, allows for higher ceilings that add to a feeling of openness in the classrooms and learning laboratories. The building earned the LEED(TM) Silver rating, utilizing photovoltaic cells, eco-roofs, under-floor ventilation plenums, and thickened concrete slabs that increase the building's thermal mass. Phase I, concluded in September 2003 with construction costs nearing $30 million. While with another firm, Chris Thompson served as Principal-in-Charge.