Special Programs and Projects

Praxis Lecture Series
Portland architects and related design professionals are regularly invited into the school to informally discuss current work in the design or construction phases.

Visiting Architect Lecture Series
Nationally and internationally-known architects frequently present their work at the school to students and local design professionals. The Department also regularly sponsors lectures with the Portland Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Recent visitors to the school have included:

Alberto Perez-Gomez, McGill University, Montreal
Steve Christer, Studio Granda, Reykjavik, Iceland
Aaron Betsky, Netherlands Architectural Institute, Rotterdam
Ken Yeang, Hamzeh & Yeang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Peter Cook, The Bartlett School, London
Tom Kundig, Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen, Seattle
Jane Jacobs, New York City
Eric Parry, Eric Parry Associates, London
Jennifer Siegal, Office of Mobile Architecture, Los Angeles
Michael Rotondi, ROTO Architects, Los Angeles
Brad Cloepfil, Allied Works, Portland
Sarah Graham, Angelil/Graham, Zurich and Los Angeles
Takehiko Nagakura, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
David Leatherbarrow, University of Pennsylvania
Wes Jones, Jones Partners Architecture, Los Angeles
Ben Van Berkel, UN Studio, Rotterdam

International Study Opportunities
Special summer programs introduce students to great historical and contemporary architectural and design works. Past programs have included summer trips to Barcelona and other regions of Spain offering in-depth study of one of the world's most vibrant architectural libraries. Students are encouraged to visit other countries through connections with other schools, including the Danish International School in Copenhagen. The Department also awards an annual Travel Fellowship to further student research.

Research Opportunities
Students are afforded opportunities to conduct research alongside practicing professionals, and to propose individual research projects. One student-initiated project resulted in the first-ever team of architecture students to be selected by NASA to participate in Zero-Gravity flights; students worked alongside NASA astronauts to better understand zero-gravity sleeping environments.