To see live updates of the construction check the Austin Hall Webcam
In the fall of 2014, the newest building on campus will be a home for Oregon’s future business leaders and embody the authentic character of Oregon State that inspires students and faculty. Located on Jefferson Way next to the Women’s Building and directly across the street from Weatherford, the new home for the College of Business will be the anchor of a developing area on campus.
Austin Hall, named to reflect the $10 million commitment from alumni Ken and the late Joan Austin, will be an expansive 100,000 square feet that will include ten classrooms, a 250-seat auditorium, collaborative team rooms, more than 70 faculty offices, staff and program offices, a café and event space.
The late Al Reser, his wife Pat and their family, committed an additional $6 million to the project. The Austin and Reser lead gifts have been combined with gifts from additional donors and $25 million in matching state bonds.
“Austin Hall is an incredible milestone in the history of the College of Business. It will allow us to better meet the changing needs for business education and better prepare profession-ready students for the workplace,” said Ilene Kleinsorge, dean and Sara Hart Kimball Chair of the College of Business. “We are forever grateful to the Austins and Resers for their leadership, and for inspiring so many more to generously support the building.”
Construction on Austin Hall launched April 19, 2013, in a ceremony featuring Oregon State President Ed Ray, State of Oregon Treasurer Ted Wheeler and Ken and Joan Austin.
“[Austin Hall] is the kind of thing we need to invest in now to continue the economic development of our state,” Wheeler told the audience at the launch ceremony.
The building was designed by Portland’s THA Architecture, with construction of the building handled by Andersen Construction.
Since then the project has moved ahead quickly to meet the goal of opening for the start of fall term 2014.
The structure of the building was completed August 2, with the exterior framing finished August 30. You can follow updates at the official Facebook page for the project. Below is a photo of the building as of February, 2014:
Overall, the project has demonstrated the strength of the College of Business community, not just current students and faculty but alumni, friends, family and those invested in Oregon and its continued economic growth.
Donors have contributed $30 million toward the fundraising goal for the Austin Hall project. The goal includes $25 million for construction and $5 million to cover ongoing operations, maintenance and future technology upgrades. In addition to the private funds, the state legislature recently approved $25 million in lottery bonds for the project.
Vision
Austin Hall is a home for the future of Oregon innovation that embodies the authentic character of Oregon State University, highlights collaboration, honors individual work, and inspires students and faculty through heightened awareness of their connections to the world and one another.
Traits
A home for entrepreneurs
A home for faculty and students that is unpretentious and comfortable, but also professional
Projecting and protecting
A place that encourages and projects the value of connections, while honoring and protecting the significance of individual work
A sense of belonging within a network
A network of nonlinear, interconnected, flexible spaces that inspire collaboration while also instilling a sense of belonging and individualism
Portal for understanding one’s connections to the world
A portal that heightens one’s awareness of their connection to the site, to the campus, to the region and to the world
Inspiring and authentic
A place that is inspiring and distinctive, but also authentic, modest and efficient
