Last night, we were all invited to a rooftop cocktail party with a University of Oregon alumni. It was very incredible getting to see the city from that heigh, and I really enjoyed being able to chat with a few of the professionals on our trip about areas in Eugene I think need to be changed to increase bike and pedestrian safety, and I really felt listened to. Afterwards, a few of us went out for dinner and a pleasant walk.
Today we got the opportunity to visit BIG Architecture. They told us about themselves as a firm and then they gave us an overview of some of their projects. Many of their designs have unique shapes and forms that make creative use of space. Their housing projects often include court yards, green roofs, and spaces shared among neighbors. I find it interesting how these types of amenities make density so appealing. I would love to live in an apartment like the ones they design, for there is still so much greenery and connection with the community. One of their buildings here in Copenhagen even has a bike path that goes through the courtyard all the way up to the 12th floor.
A project BIG is currently working on is the new waste treatment plant in Copenhagen. This plant is incredible, it was designed to be an attraction that draws people in, rather than the standard waste treatment center effect of repulsing people. This center has a massive sloped roof that can be skied down all year long, and another part of the roof will be a living green area that can be hiked up. On the outer wall of the plant, a rock climbing course is being put in. When the wall is completed, it will stand at just shy of 300 feet, more than doubling the height of the current tallest climbing wall in the world.
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