MIArch University of Oregon, 1990
BIArch Kansas State University, 1982

Certified Interior Designer: NCIDQ

The work of Associate Professor of Interior Architecture Linda Zimmer examines how people relate with the built environment and focuses on supporting human interaction  through design. She has served as Director of the interior architecture program from 1998 to 2007, and department Head of Interior Architecture from 2016-2020.  She teaches advanced and mid-level interior design studios, as well as furniture design studios and courses in design theory in modular prefabrication and furniture design.

Zimmer came to the University of Oregon from Steelcase Corporation, where her research guided the development and evaluation of prototype office furniture systems designed for flexible working relationships in open offices.

In her creative practice and research she is interested in flexible spaces and furnishings and how people use, adjust and change interiors over time.  Most of her research focuses on commercial buildings such as modern office buildings and schools. In these she examines applied theories of flexibility and compares actual patterns of use and change. In creative practice, She designs build and write about flexible fitted out interior spaces and furnishings that accommodate and enable people, employing both conventional and digital design and fabrication techniques and is energized by experimenting with new techniques and materials.

I enjoy working with students on research and offer independent studies and paid research assistants to qualified students where possible.  I seek out curious students who are motivated to learn new design, analysis and fabrication techniques. Some of my current projects are as follows:

Ed Roberts Campus Post Occupancy Evaluation (with Kyuho Ahn)

Designed by Leddy Maytum Stacy in The Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley California houses disability rights organizations. The design integrates many elements which go well beyond current ADA codes in order to create a replicable universally designed building that can work for people with varying disability profiles.  Professor Ahn and I are currently conducting a Post Occupancy Evaluation of the ERC that tests how universal design elements work for the occupants. Ongoing research tasks include anaylyzing data from a survey questionnaire, focus groups and behavioral observations. 

Secret Life of Buildings Project:

This project examines how interior spaces in modern office buildings have changed over time.  Using permit drawings from the City of Portland we track changes to the floorplans of various tenants in buildings over a lengthy time span. The Equitable Building by Pietro Belluschi is our first case study to date and changes to the interior lease spaces show how building interiors have evolved over time in response to economic and organizational factors in office design.

Six board chest project:

This project involves digital design and fabrication of prototypical storage elements that can be down-loaded, customized and manufactured locally by means of CNC technology and 3-D printing.  Based on an historic precedent six-board chests (there are three designs thus far) are intended to reconnect people with simple elemental design in as new technological vernacular. Continuing work involves manipulating 3-D models in Rhino, making a web page to distribute files and assembling prototypes.

Zimmer previously worked as a designer with Calcara, Duffendack, Foss, Manlove Architecture and Scott Rice/Design Group One in Kansas City, Missouri. Her furniture design has appeared in juried design exhibits in Portland, Eugene, and Boise.