Pietro Belluschi was one of the most notable architects in Oregon, with his work widely published during his time and emerged as a leader in the development of American Modern architecture. To honor his memory and vision for the Pacific Northwest, the School of Architecture & Environment (SAE) would establish a perpetually endowed fund to foster and promote education in architectural design. The Pietro Belluschi Distinguished Visiting Professorship in Architectural Design has given the school the ability to hire prominent architects to teach and lecture at the University of Oregon and give students a one-of-a-kind experience learning from some of the greatest professionals in the built environment. Julie Eizenberg, FAIA, LFRAIA, the 2024 Pietro Belluschi Visiting Professor is another influential professional offering a unique perspective and course for the 2024–25 academic year.
Eizenberg is a founding principal of the award-winning architecture firm Koning Eizenberg Architecture and brings decades of design vision, leadership, and expertise to the University of Oregon program renowned for its commitment to offering novel educational experiences. She holds a BArch from the University of Melbourne, a MArch from UCLA, and an honorary PhD from the University of Melbourne. Eizenberg, FAIA, LFRAIA, and the firm both have a reputation for creative, collaborative thinking that seeks to reshape the way we think about conventional building typologies by focusing on the user experience in the built environment.
This empathetic perspective and commitment to working with the community in the design process has been rewarded with well over 200 design and sustainability awards and a myriad of publications on her work. Eizenberg supplements her work in the built environment by teaching new, upcoming designers throughout academia, like her forthcoming appointment as the Pietro Belluschi Distinguished Visiting Professor. The professorship was an attractive position for the storied professional thanks to the program and its pedagogy.
"I like to look for teaching opportunities out of town," explained the Los Angeles-based Eizenberg. "Itinerant positions that allow me to work in collaboration with students to investigate an emerging issue [in the community.] Another bonus is working with [my co-teacher and Visiting Assistant Professor] Clay Neal, who is a great urbanist.”
"[The seminar class and studio are] shaped by the efforts of the Olympics to encourage transit use during the games and the State's mandate to address the shortage of housing," said Eizenberg. "The area is anchored by the Little Tokyo Historic District, which is home to the largest Japanese-American community in the country and the growing Arts District adjacent. We hope to explore how to design a catalyst community-serving building adjacent to the station (studio) and look at a conceptual urban design framework for North Almeda Street that flanks the site (seminar).”
The Little Tokyo district attracts visitors from around the world and serves as a gateway to cultural events. While a lot of midrise housing has been built in the last fifteen years with many stores, restaurants, and businesses, there are also underserved communities and locations in the same area with homeless encampments and large lots of vacant land owned by Metro LA, the city's transit authority.
The seminar and studio offer students a unique opportunity to work with a storied community and international event while also seeking to create sustainable neighborhoods by providing a combination of housing and community resources linked to transit. LA has seen success when hosting the games both in 1932 and in 1984.
In 1932, the Olympics built 550 portable houses in Baldwin Hills. At the end of the games, the homes were sold for $140 or $215 if the home was furnished, helping to recoup construction costs. For the 1984 games, the Olympics ended with a $232.5 million surplus. Eizenberg hopes the successful history of the previous games will help inform the research and approach of the classes.
“I’m hoping for collaborative workers,” explained Eizenberg. “There are many years of historical context that need to be explored and the students in both classes will need to dig into all of it to have a fully formed conceptual framework to offer to LA Metro and LA28 at the end of the term.”
Both the seminar and studio class will work together in teams to research and develop conceptual frameworks to offer development and community-building suggestions to the LA28 planning team and the LA Metro. The two classes will research demographic and other trends, tour local neighborhoods, and work with local designers and guest experts to hone their frameworks.
The courses provided by Eizenberg reflect the university’s commitment to provide a unique, experiential educational experience rooted in sustainability and community improvement within the confines and support of one of the top research universities.