Architecture Trivia Night

Name the building; bonus points for naming the architect, the city in which it is located, and the date of its completion (photo by Erin Silversmith from Wikimedia Commons)

The University of Oregon’s American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) chapter successfully produced its first ever “Who’s the Expert” event this past Thursday, January 14. Students, faculty, and local AIA-SWO professionals all had a rollicking good time participating in the "Jeopardy!"-style trivia game. It was all for a good cause too: sponsors not only helped to defray the costs of the evening (including the cost of catering services and prizes) but are providing monetary support for UO student attendance at future AIAS conferences and events as well.

Unlike “Jeopardy!” the game was contested by seven teams rather than three individuals; the rules were otherwise pretty much the same as the popular television game show. Every team was comprised of one professional, one faculty member, and three students. Each team rallied under the banner of a well-known architectural luminary:

• Alvar Aalto
• Tadao Ando
• Jane Jacobs
• Louis Kahn
• I.M. Pei
• Le Corbusier
• Walter Gropius

The initial round of the game involved the following categories:

• Name That Building
• Student Life
• Eugene Architecture
• LEED

The “Double Jeopardy!” round featured these categories:

• A.R.E.
• Who Said It?
• Going Green
• Architectural History

Success demanded sharp minds, quick-thinking, rapid reflexes, and teamwork. It certainly helped to know the answers to such questions as “What is the average amount of debt a graduate architecture student incurs for one year of studies?” and “Who designed Rome’s Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane?”

In the end, it was Team Gropius that proved itself to be of champion caliber.

The winning members of Team “Gropius” (that’s UO faculty member Jenny Young on the left; Gabe Greiner, AIA, of 2fORM Architecture is on the right).

The success of this year’s Architecture Trivia Night will hopefully prompt UO-AIAS to make it an annual occurrence. It truly was fun and a great way to bring the students and faculty of the School of Architecture and Allied Arts and AIA-SWO practitioners together. Kudos to M.Arch candidate Andrea Mohr and the members of her AIAS Events Committee for the time and energy they devoted to promoting and producing this enjoyable event.