After years of design and construction, Portland State University’s former Neuberger Hall reopened this week with a new name, Fariborz Maseeh Hall. As students return to campus for the fall term, one of the first things they’ll notice about the remodeled academic and student services building is the new main entry plaza on the South Park Blocks with its unique site amenity we call the Social Jetty. 
The Mayer/Reed designed jetty is a 77 ft. long steel and wood structure that invites people to dock out of the flow for a period of time. It provides places to sit, dine, study, converse, create, relax, people-watch or simply be. We’ll be watching to see how it gets used in the days ahead.
Meet Our Newest Experiential Graphic Designers
Mayer/Reed welcomes experiential graphic designers, Alper Yurtseven and Rosie Struve.
Alper Yurtseven, SEGD, IDSA joined Mayer/Reed as a senior experiential graphic designer and project manager. He brings more than 16 years of experience in wayfinding, branding, donor recognition and UI design. Alper was previously with Lebowitz Gould Design, in New York, NY. His current work with Mayer/Reed includes the Portland International Airport expansion, Hillsboro Community Center and Grays Harbor College. “Experiential graphic design is a field where the 2D world of graphics and typography meets the 3D world of products and spatial design. With a background in both industrial and graphic design I am drawn to this realm, where these disciplines merge and possibilities expand.” Alper holds a Master of Industrial Design from the Pratt Institute.
Rosie Struve joined Mayer/Reed as an experiential graphic designer. Her current work includes signage, wayfinding and experiential graphics for The Portland Building and several US embassies. Rosie is a Portland State University alumna and adjunct instructor teaching Design Thinking. As a designer and instructor, Rosie embraces the creative process and the evolution of a project as it develops. “Research, process and function are important design drivers,” she notes, “but breaking boundaries and trying the unexpected are equally necessary.”
Grant High School Celebrates Re-Opening
Civic leaders, designers, alumni, students, neighbors and even miniature horses celebrated the re-opening of Grant High School on September 7. A major modernization transformed the historic campus and buildings to the delight of visitors who marveled at the 21st Century learning environments behind the restored 1924 facade.
Thanks to removal of non-historic structures, the campus gained well-connected open spaces, a sports field expansion and seamless integration with the adjacent Grant Park. Grant is the third of Portland Public Schools‘ completed high school modernization projects, following Franklin and Roosevelt High Schools. Next up for construction are Madison, Lincoln and Benson High Schools.
Madison High School Modernization Breaks Ground
The May 18th groundbreaking for Madison High School – Portland Public Schools’ fourth high school modernization project – celebrated the school’s redesign to accommodate an ultimate attendance of 1700 students in 9-12th grades. Built in 1957, the modernized school will re-open in September 2021.
Madison’s curriculum is unique in that it houses sustainable agriculture and environmental studies programs. The landscape architecture work at Madison encompasses site circulation, school and stadium entry plazas, internal courtyards, an agricultural area, a childcare playground and athletic facilities. The challenging forty-acre site that straddles the Alameda Ridge has over fifty feet of grade change. Mayer/Reed is working with the project team that includes Opsis Architecture, DAO Architecture and Fortis Construction.