Today, University of Oregon officials announced the design of a new science facility that’ll open to students and faculty in three years. KLCC’s Brian Bull reports.
Construction on The Knight Campus for Accelerated Scientific Impact is due to start next spring. Phil and Penny Knight donated $500 million to the U of O towards its development and construction. $50 million in state bonds will also fund the project.
Todd Schliemann is one of the lead architects for the facility. He says he’s never before designed a building that promises this kind of scientific collaboration.
“It’s rare that you find a research building that’s so compact," he tells KLCC. "Usually they’re strung out and long, and a distance between the lab bench, the wet bench, the research bench…and where the staff works, and often times where the offices are.
"It fits perfectly with the mission of the Knight Campus. They’re collaborative!”
The overall cost of the Knight Campus is projected at $1 billion. The U of O Board of Trustees approved spending $225 million on it at a special meeting last week.
Phil Knight is a U of O graduate, and co-founder of shoe giant, Nike.
Copyright 2017, KLCC.