Message from the UO Architecture Department Head

 

Michael Zaretsky, AIA
Architecture Department Head
University of Oregon

Hello AIA Oregon!

I am a new member of AIA Oregon, but not new to Oregon. I was a Master of Architecture student at the University of Oregon (UO) from 1994-1998. I then practiced architecture in Copenhagen, Denmark, San Francisco, California and Seattle, Washington before choosing to transition to academia. I taught one quarter at UO in spring 2004 and then two years at the Savannah College of Art and Design before taking a tenure-track position at the University of Cincinnati (UC). I taught for ten years and led the MetroLAB Community Design/Build program before transitioning to an Associate Dean role in the UC College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP). In 2018, my wife was offered a position as Dean of the College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). We moved to Dallas, Texas where I became the Director of Architectural Engineering at UTA. However, when the opportunity came up to come back to the University of Oregon, we couldn’t resist. My wife, Adrian Parr, is the Dean of the College of Design and I am the Head of Architecture at UO.

It is an immense honor to return to UO Architecture to work with the faculty, staff and students of the Department of Architecture. My experience here set me on a path that embraces all forms of environmental sustainability, a critical integration of context and place as well as a deep appreciation of cultural specificity. I learned to collaborate with others to create meaningful buildings and places using appropriate materials and technologies. I learned to incorporate passive strategies and integrated systems through projects at all scales.

Upon returning last spring, I have discovered that the work of the faculty and the program has expanded to engage cutting-edge research in centers such as the Institute for Health in the Built Environment (IHBE), the Tallwood Design Institute (TDI), and Urbanism Next among many others. I have also learned that the department, and the School of Architecture and Environment (SAE), have embraced social justice as a critical component of sustainability. In the last three years, the Design for Spatial Justice Initiative (DSJI) program has brought 15 DSJI Fellows to UO from across the world to UO to integrate diverse perspectives from practice, academia and lived experience. These fellows have profoundly impacted our design and our dialogue.

We recently completed our accreditation visit from the National Architectural Accreditation Board (NAAB). The feedback was extremely positive overall. They noted our focus on collaboration and the commitment to high quality teaching among our faculty. We received national commendations for two areas – “Ecological Knowledge and Responsibility” and “Social Justice and Equity.” However, there is one area where we need to improve - preparation for Professional Practice. While all UO Architecture students take a course in Context of the Profession, we need to do more to engage our students with the profession throughout their academic experience. We are currently preparing to start offering Practicum again (following covid) as well as offering more opportunities for Internships and engagement with Practice in Eugene and Portland.

We are hoping to build our relationships with all of our AIA partners in Oregon, throughout the PNW and across the country. We are excited to work with all of you to create more bridges between our program and your firms.

Don’t hesitate to reach out or come visit us in Eugene or Portland.