FFA Architecture and Interiors, in association with Laurence Ferar and Associates, worked with Umpqua Community College (UCC) to develop a detailed building program and design for the Danny Lang Teaching, Learning, and Event Center. The primary goal for the project was to develop a dynamic new facility to be the home for the Southern Oregon Wine Institute, a program that is focused on supporting economic development of the wine industry in southern Oregon.
The site for the new facility is a dramatic overlook on an undeveloped hillside at the college campus’s edge. The building location was carefully integrated with the site design so that the building is optimally-situated relative to the layout of the adjacent teaching vineyards, and at the ideal orientation for light and views. UCC’s sustainable design goal for the project was to achieve LEED Silver equivalent certification.
2012
22,000 sf
Tasting Room
Foothill Views
Wine Production
Concrete Connections
A SETTING THAT INSPIRES
The design of the project found its inspiration from the beautiful campus setting in the hill country of Southern Oregon. The use of mass timber framing and finishes at the upper level and the dramatic curved glue laminated (GLULAM) beams and wood decking for roof framing pays homage to the strong tradition of building with wood in one of the historically rich forestry-based economies in Oregon.
MIXED USE AND EDUCATION
The upper level of the building is used primarily for education, administration, and event functions, while the lower level is used for wine production and storage.
The Wine Institute facility design provides space for a functional teaching winery in addition to classrooms, offices, labs and a wine tasting room with retail space. Flex-use spaces allow for public uses such as weddings, conferences, and other events. The new UCC Danny Lang Teaching, Learning, and Event Center is truly a mixed-use resource for the college and the communities of southern Oregon that the institution serves.
