III. Design Process and Program for Consultation
The Design Advisory Group (DAG) is the universityÕs primary representative in the design process for this project. In keeping with the principles of the Oregon Experiment and the universityÕs Long Range Campus Development Plan, it will be the major player in the design of the Living Learning Center. Unlike user committees at many other institutions, this Design Advisory Group will participate actively in the design process, including developing organizational approaches, generating design concepts, prioritizing needs, comparing building systems, discussing cost and budget trade-offs, and so forth. In addition to Design Advisory Group involvement, there may be focus sessions with individual constituencies and public meetings to inform the campus community about the project.
The university requires that the design team establish an effective means of communicating with the project design advisory group (both talking and listening). While we do not insist on any particular method, it must provide effective, jargon-free, two-way communications that allow the design team and users to move forward jointly with design solutions owned by all parties. Within this context of user involvement and effective communications between users and architects, the design advisory group is open to different approaches to organizing the design effort.
The DAGÕs decisions are advisory to the Director of University Housing, who will also be an active participant in the design process. Major project milestones such as the completion of each phase of design will be reviewed by the Director of University Housing, by the Vice President for Student Affairs and also by the Vice President for Administration as well as by University Housing and Planning Office staff. In addition, the project will be designed with the advice of the Campus Planning Committee, which will also review it at the end of schematic design.
University Housing and the University Planning Office will provide staff support to the project during design. Management during construction will be provided by Facilities Services and University Housing. University Planning will remain available to advise during construction should relevant design issues arise.
In addition to providing traditional design services, the design team will be asked to demonstrate that the new facilities comply with state requirements and university policies for sustainability and energy efficiency. We also expect the design team to present a project schedule, which will be monitored during the design and construction phases. The project schedule must leave adequate time for institutional review and for design changes should these be necessary.
We look forward to working with the design team to confirm and expand upon the information contained in this Project Description and to move the project through the design and construction process.