Mark L. Gillem, Assistant Professor
Email: mark@uoregon.edu
Bachelor of Architecture [with highest distinction], 1989, University of Kansas
Master of Architecture, 1996, University of California, Berkeley
PhD [Architecture], 2005, University of California, Berkeley
Registered Architect (California, South Dakota)
Certified Planner
Member of the American Institute of Architects and the
American Institute of Certified Planners
Professor Gillem holds a joint appointment in the Architecture and Landscape Architecture departments and teaches architecture and urban design studios, urban design seminars, and co-teaches our Human Context course. His studios and seminars have given students the opportunity to engage in field studies of actual places, and produce plans and research reports for actual clients. In his professional practice, he prepares urban design plans and architectural designs for clients worldwide. He is the author of America Town: Building the Outposts of Empire (2007, University of Minnesota Press) and numerous papers and articles that explore the link between architecture and urban design.
As an educator and practitioner interested in enhancing the livability and sustainability of our urban environments, I have developed two primary areas of interest. The first is concerned with the socio-cultural production of urban form and recognizes that architecture and urban design exist at the intersection of culture, economy, and politics. The second area focuses on the actual making of sustainable urban places. At the University of Oregon, I connect my professional work and research in these areas with my teaching in order to create engaging educational settings.
Taken together, my teaching, research, and professional experiences help me provide students with the skills needed for developing their own effective, informed, and critical practices. My hope is that I can prepare students to assume primary roles in the making of urban form. What I offer students is a commitment to researching our built environment in a descriptive rather than normative way; a background of practice that is informed by this ongoing research; and a willingness to bring both theoretical and practical knowledge into the classroom.
