Fluorescent Fridays: The Oregon Palette

Amidst the ongoing societal reconstruction for social justice, this research is of paramount importance as it focuses on establishing “spaces of identification” for an environment that reflects the Pacific Northwest heritage and its culture and ethnic diversity for shared ethnicities and backgrounds.  By understanding and leveraging the power of Color and how it relates to our cultural identity, we aim to foster a more supportive and inclusive environment. 

Students are actively involved in this research, exploring the influence of color in a university setting and investigating the profound impact of color on their immediate environment. 

This project unfolds as a meditation on color, touch, and story, a reweaving of University of Oregon’s design library into a vessel of reflection and resonance. Guided by Indigenous storytelling and the tactile language of material, the space becomes an intimate terrain where light, texture, and memory converge. 

The Oregon landscape breathes just beyond its walls.  Here, color is not surface but story. From the Museum of Natural and Cultural History on campus emerges two chromatic lineages: (1) connection to the land drawn from serpentinite rock, a mineral hymn of greens, blues and yellows that speak of transformation,  and (2) connection to animals and the outdoors steeped in the soft earth tones of hide and fur, colors that convey warmth and the lingering scent of belonging. These palettes intertwine like threads in a woven fabric --the moment when colors meet and shift, revealing new harmonies through touch and proximity, land and light, body and place, and retell the story of connection.

Presenters

Esther Hagenlocher, Associate Professor, Department of Interior Architecture, School of Architecture and Environment, University of Oregon

Esther Hagenlocher is an architect, scholar, and practitioner who studies the interaction of architecture and interior architecture, typically associated with issues of scale, material and detail.  As a professional, she has design primarily residential and exhibition spaces, which are often small, necessitating strategies to expand space.  Esther researches efficient use of space, focusing on color and material studies in Architectural Education and Color-reflectivity.  Her work is truly interdisciplinary, drawing from various fields to enrich our understanding of space.  In her current research project is a scientific approach to the oeuvre of artist and color scholar, Fritz Seitz. 

Blaine Brennan, Bachelor of Interior Architecture, University of Oregon (2026)

Blaine Brennan is in her final year of the Interior Architecture program at the University of Oregon. Originally from Louisiana, she has found her home away from home in the Pacific Northwest, where her work explores the intersections of color, community and the stewardship of architectural heritage. Blaine’s design philosophy celebrates place, honoring the stories, textures and cultural landscapes that shape how we live and connect. 

Hannah Petkau, Master of Interior Architecture (2026), Master of Fine Arts, University of Oregon (2022)

Hannah Petkau is an interdisciplinary designer originally from Cortes Island, Canada, and currently based in Eugene, Oregon. Her practice centers on connection—bringing together material, process, and people through the design of objects, spaces, and experiences. Drawing from her background in art, hospitality, education, and architecture, she approaches spatial design with both human experience and environmental context in mind. Hannah is completing her Master of Interior Architecture at the University of Oregon.

Emma Ball, Bachelor of Architecture, University of Oregon (2026) 

Emma Ball is a fifth-year architecture student in the School of Architecture and Environment at the University of Oregon. Outside of her major, she studies interior architecture and environmental studies.   Growing up in San Jose, California, Emma was fascinated with the city around her. Daily, as she drove on the freeway, she noticed the impermanence of the buildings, as construction or demolition was always in development. At the University of Oregon, her academic emphasis is sustainability, with a focus on implementing conscious design to reduce negative impacts on a jeopardized environment. 

FLUORESCENT FRIDAYS is a platform for university students from all disciplines to network with color professionals and fellow students, and to explore cutting-edge information about color’s role in our lives and applications in the world. 

Global Student Chapter: The long range goal is to build a global student chapter that positions color as a multidimensional STEAM model (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math), sharing up-to-date color research by scientists, artists, designers, industry professionals, and university students.21st century color communication requires a commitment to building bridges for sharing resources, cultivating mentors, and creating new opportunities. With up-to-date information and useful tools, students become the next generation of leaders in ever-evolving color related disciplines.