A large social staircase located near the rear entrance of the Knight Campus. Highlighted features display the implicit hostile design elements.

Location: Knight Campus Building – Located on Franklin Blvd.

Knight Campus: An academic building and interdisciplinary research facility dedicated to advancing scientific discovery and innovation located at the University of Oregon’s main campus.

Hostile Design: While walking by the Knight Campus after my furniture studio, I noticed a set of social stairs leading up to the rear entrance of the building. At a glance, it looks like the perfect spot to enjoy a nice lunch or Starbucks drink with friends or coworkers while taking in the nearby scenic views. However, upon closer examination, I noticed that the space has metal strips strategically placed in precise increments throughout the three massive steps. This design feature specifically targets the skateboarding community which is notably prevalent among the university’s students. The metal strips’ presence inherently discourages skateboarders from utilizing the space for their leisure activities. As I walked closer to the front entrance, I also noticed these same metal strips present on another exterior design element. This time, they have strategically placed on a slate curb-like area which encloses the surrounding landscape spaces. The harsh angle of these surrounding planter extrusions also innately discourages loitering, which directly targets the unhoused population. The sharp corner of the granite makes it impossible for homeless individuals to sleep comfortably. Additionally, I found other landscape areas that are surrounded by rough, rocky slate or granite material which also deter the unhoused population from loitering or sleeping in the area.

Rough landscaping edging located near the front entrance of Knight Campus. Highlighted features display the implicit hostile design elements.