Coming this fall: an academic and social center designed to spark new research and learning opportunities by bringing together students and faculty members in all scientific disciplines.
In the video above, the head of the UO Science Library, Margaret Bean, goes behind the construction fence to show off progress on the new Allan Price Science Commons and Research Library. Private gifts and state bonds are paying for the $19 million project, which is remodeling the existing facilities (located underground) and adding another story at street level.
The all-new facility, prompted by a surge in science majors, is the centerpiece of a master plan to advance the UO’s collaborative approach to research and teaching in the sciences.
“We will provide the physical, technological, and intellectual resources needed by UO science students and researchers to advance their fields,” said Dean of Libraries Adriene Lim. “And just as important, to do so in a way that fosters collaboration within and across disciplines.”
Among key features are a big data visualization center, a maker space with tools such as 3D printers available to everyone on campus, group study rooms customized for each of the scientific disciplines, demonstration labs, and classrooms.
The new plaza-level entrance, which includes a café and commons, will give the library high visibility in the heart of the Lorry I. Lokey Science Complex. Previously, the heavily used facility was invisible due to its location underneath the courtyard joining Onyx Bridge with Cascade, Klamath and Willamette halls — so well hidden, in fact, that some on campus were unaware of its existence.
UO benefactor Lorry I. Lokey kicked off the project with an $8 million lead gift honoring the late Allan Price, a former UO vice president for advancement. Joining Lokey with significant gifts to the Price Science Commons are donors Marcia L. Aaron, Barbara Reed Cargill, Rosaria Haugland, Jill and Phillip Lighty, Nancy and David Petrone, Darcy and Hank Tarbell, Leona DeArmond, Jon and Lisa Stine, Ann and Tommy Thompson, John and Patty Bentley, and Julie and Keith Thomson.
Andersen Construction is the builder. Design is by Opsis Architecture. Other campus projects by Opsis include renovation of Straub Hall and the Cheryl Ramberg Ford and Allyn Ford Alumni Center.
Get regular construction updates by following Margaret Bean’s blog, http://blogs.uoregon.edu/sciencecommons.
The Science Library is part of the eight-branch UO Libraries system, which is the state’s largest research library.