The building that once sat at 3100 southwest Jefferson Way and housed the College of Forestry for Oregon State University. However, beginning in the summer of 2016, this building was demolished for a complete overhaul; the creation of a brand new building for the college.

This demolition of the building brings up strong emotion for OSU students, faculty and staff. “Peavy Hall was a home away from home for me during my collegiate experience at OSU,” said Rebecca Armstrong, a 2016 graduate from the College of Forestry. “It felt like a close knit community on a larger campus, which really gave me the best of both worlds.” Seeing their home building being demolished can be saddening, but knowing that this will lead to a new building for the college keeps spirits high.  

The new building, in the ideal of reduce, reuse, recycle, will partially be built out of the old Peavy Hall building. The goal is to have only 15 percent waste from the building, with the rest of the building either being recycled or reused in the new building. As a result, the two-story building has been taken down piece by piece, as opposed to having a wrecking ball smash through its antique walls.  

“I think the new building will really help the forestry program,” said Armstrong, “It will be a standing representation of research that has been done on site. The Oregon State forestry program has already been recognized for all the great work it does for the industry, and the new building to me represents how much OSU will continue to impact the industry for years to come through innovative research and dedicated faculty, staff, graduates and students.”

One example of reusing the old building, is that the glulam trusses will become part of the main staircase. In addition, trees from the central courtyard will be turned into furniture for the building.  

 The old Peavy Hall is being used in creative ways as well by dishing it out to students. Using wood from the building, small cubes were made that feature a stamp, mimicking a square on the periodic table as a nod to the science base of the university. The letter is a P with a small 1.0 on the bottom right. Students who hold these cubes are able to carry a part of Peavy Hall with them wherever they go. As a result, students have started the hashtag #WheresPeavyHall to showcase where the building has reached through these cubes. Check it out on Instagram, and ask a Forestry student if they have any left for you to take around the world!