Architecture at the University of Portland

Emily Bliven

Fine Arts

October 31, 2014 Architecture Essay

The above picture is a sketch of one of the two main entrances of Buckley Center, a building located at the University of Portland. This sketch includes many offices and rooms on the side of the building, as well as outdoor foliage and a small greenhouse attached to the building.

The materials used in the construction include brick and concrete, as well as various metals for roofing and support. The brick design on the outside provides basic structural support for the building, as well as give a nice aesthetic value in the red color. The use of brick makes the building seem very academic and prestigious. However, the green foliage outside and plants inside the greenhouse provide a nice contrast to the red. This juxtaposition of natural and artificial elements works very well in the design of this building.

There are a lot of line patterns found in this building. The windows are very linearly organized, both vertically and horizontally. This simple organization of space gives a calm, logical feeling to those looking at the building.

The inside of the building has a very different feel than the outside. The outside is massive and looming, creating a strong visual in the center of campus. The inside of the building, however, is very brightly lit, linear, and feels cramped and small. With people crowding the halls it’s very easy to feel claustrophobic in Buckley Center. The picture to the right depicts the narrow layout of the inside hall on the first floor. The dull white, tan and gray coloring on the inside of the building do not create a very cheery atmosphere, but rather a bland, administrative one.

The picture above is Buckley Center auditorium, a separate building from Buckley Center’s main structure. It shows the front entrance of the auditorium with the main parts of Buckley directly behind it.

Buckley Center auditorium is similar in style the rest of...