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University of Oregon Ford Alumni Center
Oregon Entry Wall
Project Group
Client
Date
June 2011Location
Eugene, OregonArchitects
Opsis ArchitectureTags
Playlists
Through this unique, electronic, wooden wall, visitors can discover campus events, building-specific information, and the names of alumni whose generosity helps fuel the vitality of the University.
As a welcome center to the University, the Ford Alumni Center is the epicenter of inquiry for first-time visitors, student tour groups, function and event attendees, meeting attendees, and the dozens of people who work in the building every day. Spanning two large displays in the top of the wall is a portal into the day’s events on campus. On one side the event titles are displayed while the highlighted event is featured on the right. The data comes from the university’s event database, and an override mode lets the staff put special information and imagery on the screens during special events. A second screen in the entry wall broadcasts current energy consumption and efficiency information for the building as well as the building-specific events information (this screen is part of a campus-wide system and was not designed or developed by Second Story).
Hidden within the wooden slats that comprise the wall substrate are LED signage displays connected to an Alumni Foundation database that constantly cycles through the thousands of names of individuals who contribute to the university each year. Names emanate through the fir veneer, constantly cascading across the wall. On the surface of the slats are laser etched names of the individuals and organizations whose major contributions made the Ford Alumni Center possible.
Press & Awards
“Exhibit Feature: University of Oregon Alumni Center,” Communication Arts, May 2012At the heart of the design solution was the concept of the university as bedrock and the students as an unending flow of water. The suite of interactives was inspired by this metaphor, and prospective students receive a stream of information that fosters a sense of possibility, while simultaneously honoring the legacy of alumni.
FITC Awards, Future. Innovation. Technology. Creativity., FINALIST: Installations, April 2012The FITC Awards honours the best of the best in the new media industry and is a celebration of epic proportions.
FITC Awards, Future. Innovation. Technology. Creativity., FINALIST: Visual Design, April 2012The FITC Awards honours the best of the best in the new media industry and is a celebration of epic proportions.
2012 Digital Signage Expo Content Awards, Content Award of the Year, March 2012Second Story Interactive Studios took home the first DSE Content Award of the Year for content created for University of Oregon Ford Alumni Center.
2012 Digital Signage Expo Content Awards, Gold Education & Healthcare Award, March 2012The annual Digital Signage Expo Content Awards honor innovative and compelling content created for digital signage and digital out-of-home networks.
“UO's Ford Alumni Center Celebrates Past and Cultivates Future via Digital Media,” Digital Signage Connection, March 2012From a distance, the “Oregon Cascades” create a montage of images that a passive viewer can appreciate, while up close, the more adventurous user can navigate through stories containing movies, images, infographics and maps reflecting the university as a whole.
2012 IxDA Interaction Awards, Winner, “Engaging” category, February 2012The projects, ranging from applications and games to instrument panels and installations, were picked from over 300 entries from 33 countries, for their excellence in interaction design.
“Interactive Center,” American School and University, December 2011The facility is designed to welcome everyone: it features accessible parking and a staffed information desk. Six 14-foot-high panels with touch-sensitive displays inform and inspire visitors with more than 1,000 stories told through words, images and video. These stories are updated constantly, and the entire system is integrated with a dynamic 3-D mapping feature that can be changed as the university grows and evolves.
“New UO Visitor Center,” Northwest Travel Magazine, December 2011Using large touch-screens, visitors can explore the 2,000-square-foot interpretive center. The multimedia installation celebrates Oregon heritage, informs visitors about the university, and builds connections with future alumni.
“What’s New,” Via Magazine, November 2011The University of Oregon’s Ford Alumni Center in Eugene explores the school’s legacy and future with artifacts and interactive displays, such as a searchable touch table with details on former students.
“University Extends Warm Welcome,” SkyWest Magazine, October 2011No matter when or why you’re in Eugene be sure to stop by the University’s new Cheryl Ramberg Ford and Allyn Ford Alumni Center. The $33.6-million high-tech marvel offers a 2,000-square-foot interpretative center, featuring interactive exhibits that help even first-time visitors connect with the school and its heritage. Six fourteen-foot-high touch-screens present more than 1,000 stories detailing interesting aspects of the university’s past, present and future.
“Interactive digital signage goes to the Ducks at UO alumni center,” Digital Signage Today, Christopher Hall, June 2011Interactive digital signage displays are integrated into nine towering ‘Oregon Cascades’ that display UO stories and information on command; a large interactive multitouch display ‘Alumni Table’ that recognizes every alum in the school’s history; and the ‘Entry Wall’ that displays campus events and recognizes donors to the center's creation.
“Welcome Space,” The Register-Guard, Greg Bolt, June 2011Alumni names [...] are continuously flashed on a data wall near the building’s entry.
Credits
- Executive Producer
- Julie Beeler
- Creative Director
- Brad Johnson
- Studio Director
- Jen Guibord
- Technology Director
- Thomas Wester
- Exhibition Architects
- Lars Uwe Bleher, Jan Schmelter
- Environmental and Physical Designers
- Aaron Walser, Shoam Thomas
- Media Designer
- Chris Dewan
- Lead Systems Developer
- David Brewer
- Designer
- Lisa Kennedy
- Developers
- Thomas Wester, Matt Arnold, Sreekrishnan Jayadevan
- Integration Engineer
- Matt Arnold
- Prototyper
- Sam Jeibmann
- Producer
- Heather Daniel
- Quality Assurance
- Heather Daniel
- Architects
- Opsis Architecture
- General Contractor
- Fortis Construction
- A/V Systems Integration
- MAD Systems
- Fabrication
- Lexington
© 2012 Second Story, Inc.Project Group
- Project Overview
- Oregon Alumni Table
- Oregon Cascades
- Oregon Entry Wall
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