Study at the School of Architecture & Environment in Portland

Street view of White Stag Block in Portland

Portland is a dynamic urban laboratory for both students and faculty. Rapid urbanization, climate change, technological innovation, socio-economic inequity, and public health pressures demand robust and ecological approaches to design across a range of scales. Working through experiments in material performance and adaptive reuse to the design of social infrastructures, we believe the practice of architecture can advance a dialogue about the future of the city and the systems that shape it.

The School of Architecture & Environment programs at the University of Oregon Portland are uniquely positioned to intervene in each of these critical areas, engaging the city through teaching, research, creative work, and community programs. Our home, the historic White Stag Block, offers state-of-the-art technology, light-filled workspaces, and a superb art and design library—all located in the heart of Portland's Old Town and Chinatown.


Programs Offered in Portland

Master of Architecture II (MArch), Master of Science in Architecture (MS), and Master of Science in Historic Preservation (MS) candidates can initiate and complete required coursework in Portland to earn a degree. Master of Architecture I and Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) candidates initiate coursework in Eugene. Once those candidates complete the necessary prerequisites, they are eligible to continue on to Portland to complete degree requirements.


Hands-on Environment, Urban Laboratory

The City of Portland is a vital creative hub and a national leader in urban sustainability policies. The city's downtown regeneration, urban design innovations, regional growth policies, and land-use-transit planning are considered national models. It is also a city grappling with the pressing challenges of gentrification, displacement, and the housing of its most vulnerable residents. Working on sites in and around the city, students engage with Portland as both a laboratory and a place.

Research is essential to our mission. We believe research skills complement training in design thinking and that students benefit by working on cutting-edge applied research problems on the design of buildings and cities. UO programs such as the Institute for Health and the Built Environment and the Sustainable Cities Institute’s Urbanism Next Center are active in Portland and offer many opportunities for guided research on the environmental and physiological performance of building systems and the impact of technology on urban resiliency and livability.


Collaborative and Creative Community

The School of Architecture & Environment collaborates with agencies and professionals both within and beyond architecture and historic preservation on issues of shared concern. We enable our partners to get out in front of issues and to envision new possibilities for making the city better.

Portland students and faculty members have worked with the Portland Development Commission on an extensive series of projects, and have partnered with Portland METRO, one of the nation's few regional governments, on projects such as greenhouse gas reduction measures and a habitat competition. Students have also worked with the Oregon Department of Transportation, TriMet, and neighboring programs at UO such as Product Design, and the School of Journalism and Communication, the Lundquist College of Business, and the School of Law. The University of Oregon also maintains close ties with many regional and environmental organizations headquartered in Portland such as Cascadia Green Building Council, EcoDistricts, the Portland Building Enclosure Council, and the Portland chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Students also have access to the wide array of architectural expertise residing in Portland. Serving alongside our dedicated faculty and staff, practicing professionals are integral to our academic community and are actively involved in our classrooms and studios. Top designers from leading firms such as ZGF, Allied Works, Sera Architects, Opsis Architecture, Bora Architects, and GreenWorks have conducted design studios, advanced technology seminars and other courses across our programs, and regularly participate in reviews of student work.


The Student Experience

Students and faculty in Portland work on real-world problems while aiming toward producing alternative futures. Our students live in the city and study in the renovated historic White Stag Block, where studios, classrooms, and workspaces overlook Waterfront Park. The building houses a university library and provides access to the collections of more than 30 additional libraries. The Fab Lab, a fabrication laboratory, houses a creative workshop for shaping materials with both digital design and woodworking processes, and an output room provides students with graphic printing services. The UO in Portland hosts lectures, special events, and exhibitions that encourage thoughtful exchanges on architecture and critical issues facing the city and region. Portland students also have opportunities to organize and participate in events such as the annual HOPES Conference sponsored by UO’s Ecological Design Center.


Alumni Spotlight

Architecture Alumna Incorporates Wasted Resources in Design

Sabrina Ortiz Luna (MArch II, ’19) joined the architecture program at the UO in Portland for its focus on sustainability. Ortiz Luna was born in Mexico City, where water scarcity and a sinking cityscape are urgent issues.

“I'm really interested in how architecture can respond to water problems,” she says. For her thesis project, Ortiz Luna designed and created a model of a mixed-use industrial building meant for brewing, plastic recycling, and rock climbing. She plans to return to San Antonio, Texas, where she grew up, and help transform the city through sustainable architecture.

Read More


Enrich Your Academic Experience


Visit Us

We attract students from all over the country and the world who want to make an impact on the future of the city. We welcome you to visit the Portland White Stag Block to view the facilities and meet faculty members and students. Located in Portland’s historic Old Town Chinatown district, the White Stag Block is at 70 NW Couch Street, in convenient walking distance to public transportation and a SmartPark lot at NW Naito Parkway and Davis Street.

Please contact us to set up your visit.


Portland News


Portland Events

To limit the spread of COVID-19, most events are being held remotely. If you have questions about a specific event, please contact the event organizer or see the event description in the UO Calendar.