Fariborz Maseeh Hall, Portland State University, Oregon Building Project, USA Architecture, Design Photos
Fariborz Maseeh Hall at Portland State University in Oregon
Oct 18, 2021
Design: Hacker
Location: Portland, Oregon, USA

Fariborz Maseeh Hall at Portland State University
The task, transform the outdated fortress-like 1960s Neuberger Hall (currently named Fariborz Maseeh Hall) into a modern, interactive, light-filled academic hub.

The five-story building was originally built in the Brutalist-style, a common campus aesthetic which reflected the pragmatic and inwardly focused buildings of that era. A half-century later, these buildings represent the antithesis of the open, flexible environments called for today.

Evolving this building to meet the current needs focused on three key strategies: 1) re-centering the design to the user?the students, faculty, community members, and others who use the building; 2) prioritizing life-cycle and life safety upgrades to the building as a whole; and 3) engaging with owners, contractors, consultants and subcontractors in collaborative, fine-grained decision-making that preserved as many opportunities as possible to support all Portland State University students.
The design concept repositions the building?which functions as a central student hub with classrooms, lecture halls, student services, and faculty offices?through a series of interventions, renovations, and expansions.

The result is an engaging, open, and humane experie...