2024 LAWRENCE MEDALIST REFLECTS ON A LIFE ON DESIGN
April 8, 2024

Adrian Parr, Dean of the College of Design, will present the 2024 Ellis F. Lawrence Medal to Robert Arrigoni, BArch '61, on June 16 at 1 pm during the College of Design commencement ceremony at Matthew Knight Arena. The dean awards this honor each year to a distinguished alumnus or alumna with the help of a rigorous faculty nomination process. The recipient of the Lawrence Medical serves as the College of Design commencement speaker each year.

This year's medal is being awarded to Arrigoni in recognition of his seven-decade career as an architect, and “for his outstanding contributions to the field of design, extending the limits of design and imagination through a holistic approach, his passion for mentoring the next generation, and for the trust, respect, and admiration he has instilled in his colleagues and clients throughout his extraordinary career,” says Dean Parr.

Robert “Bob” Arrigoni’s career is intrinsically interwoven with the education he received at the University of Oregon. Bob acknowledges that the professors he had at UO changed his life. Bob says that when he started at UO, “we were immediately introduced to all the disciplines – architecture, interior architecture, landscape architecture, and the arts. That holistic approach to design has informed the way I think and approach my projects ever since – the relationship between the interior and exterior of a building, a sensitivity to siting and integration into the landscape, thinking of the community we are creating or serving, it’s embedded in everything.”

More than sixty years after graduating, Bob clearly remembers and can give vivid details about the professors who influenced him most including Earl Moursund, who came from Cranbrook College and taught Basic Design. “He was an amazing teacher – very energetic, very positive. Being in the studio with him was a big boost to my confidence, and I never looked back.”

Philip Dole, who came from the Pratt Institute, was interested in some of the historic buildings in the towns around Eugene. “We would go on field trips and he would teach us how to ‘see,’ what to look at – he opened our eyes to history, to the value of older buildings and appreciating context. Dale Benedict was a unique personality and a force at UO. He was scholarly and had impeccable taste and an encyclopedic knowledge of historic architectural styles and furnishings. He was far from a theoretician in his approach as a teacher. One learned from spending time with him, and being immersed in conversation and observation of his life and attitudes about design.” and other members of their extended family.