University of Oregon

University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon report to the Getty (Website)

Landscape Preservation Guidelines and Description of Historic Resources (PDF) 104MB

Opened to the public in 1876, the University of Oregon (UO) was designed with an emphasis on open space, today encompassing more than 500 species and 2,500 specimens of trees on the 295-acre campus. The campus retains strong elements of architect and planner Ellis Lawrence's early 20th-century Beaux-Arts plan with formal axes and a central open space. Grant funds will support development of a cultural resource survey of landscapes and buildings, a cultural landscape preservation plan, a Geographic Information System database of the compiled historic survey data, and detailed preservation plans for selected landscapes and building sites.

University of Oregon received a Getty grant in 2005 for $190,000 to support campus heritage planning.

Report Summary

Public university

Plan contains guidelines that develop a model for cultural landscape preservation. Plan contains survey of university’s landscapes and buildings.

Purpose of landscape plan:

• Plan for future growth
• Ensure cultural heritage
• Preserve and enhance the historic open-space framework stated in Campus Plan.

Preservation Guidelines

Federal, state, and local governments provide guidelines and treatment standards for preserving historic properties, including cultural landscapes that possess both significance and integrity.

University of Oregon Campus Plan

Has specific policies (# 7) dealing with Architectural Style and Historic Preservation.

Landscape Plan

Identifies significance and integrity of 21 designated open spaces and historic core, and within 3 specific historic eras.

• Significance based on landscape association with events or people, distinctive characteristics, or archeological potential.
• Integrity based on levels of historic qualities of location an configuration, design structure, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

Select treatment strategies of preservation, rehabilitation, restoration, reconstruction.

• University of Oregon adds “continuation” as subset of rehabilitation.

University of Oregon Historic Context

• Includes Oregon Experiment , Planning system developed by Christopher Alexander in the 1970s. (Pattern Language)

Study Ranking Methodology

• Eleven point framework / characteristics for each of the 21 landscape areas.
• Established criteria for significance and integrity based on US standards.

Outcome or Lessons Learned; Resource

• Integrity (excellent to poor)/ Significance (high to low) Matrix
• Applied to specific sites.

Buildings (49) Resource Rankings

• Building Matrix
• Integrity / Significance

Appendix: Future Work: Review existing campus plans, survey research other landscape areas. Integrate survey work into Campus Plan. Plan methodology include UO academic groups, departments, and students. Includes city and state historic groups.

Survey results integrated into U of O GIS (Geographic Information System) with web page links (A-4).

Use of N.P.S. / U.S. Department of Interior standards, details , analysis, and treatment.