Education Hall: The Next 100 Years
Education Hall in 1902 |
Imagine the challenge of predicting the nature of teaching and learning in the 22nd Century. Then, add to that the difficulty of refurbishing a hundred-year-old building to meet those challenges. In a nutshell, that is the wonderful opportunity that has been presented to our College.
With the recent Oregon legislative appropriation of $8.6 million in support of the project (about 60% of the total funds needed), we are finally able to take the fence down and plan for the future of our beautiful old building.
One of the earliest and most historically-significant structures on the OSU campus, Education Hall was dedicated in 1902 and has housed many different academic units over its long life. Since 1918, when the School of Vocational Education was formed, education programs have found a permanent home in our building.
Fires in 1924 and 1927 seriously damaged the structure’s interior and over the years its sandstone block construction deteriorated to the point that the building was, until recently, scheduled for demolition. In 1995, Education Hall was covered with a wire mesh fabric, shelters were built over the exits, and a security fence was installed around the perimeter of the building in case of an earthquake.
The Oregon Legislature’s appropriation signaled Education Hall’s significance to the state-wide education community and its historic value. The challenge now is to project a hundred years into the future in order to develop conceptual guidelines for the building’s refurbishment. In October, Dean Sam Stern appointed a Design Group to tackle pre-conceptual planning, in other words, to create succinct criteria that will guide Education Hall’s refurbishing from the concept stage through construction.
Weighty questions faced the design team of educational futurists, faculty, students, architects, and learning environment experts who gathered together for a day of thinking on October 13: what are the most important aspects of the learning context over the next 100 years; and, given those critical aspects, what are the most important design parameters that should guide the building’s renovation?
Ideas generated by design team members reflected their desire to think creatively; to honor the College of Education’s heritage and potential; to imagine a future where there is free-flowing interaction between teaching, learning, and research; and to emphasize creativity, entrepreneurship, experimentation, and inclusiveness.
Over the next few years, Education Hall will become structurally stronger than ever, the shelters and wire fabric will be removed, and the historical bones of the building will reveal its proud architectural heritage. More importantly, with the help of alums and friends, Education Hall will enter the next 100 years prepared to serve students and educators in ways unimaginable at its dedication in 1902.
