OSU-Cascades dining, academic building named Obsidian Hall

Obsidian Hall is the new name of the dining and academic building at Oregon State University-Cascades following a campus-wide engagement campaign involving students, faculty, staff and stakeholders.

Signage designating the building name was recently installed on the west and north faces of the building.

The process to name the building included a call for students and employees to suggest names that represent Central Oregon’s flora, fauna or geography, and that were in keeping with OSU’s building and place names policies. Of the 13 submissions, the campus community provided feedback on the final three names, with Obsidian being the favorite.

Obsidian is a glossy, black and naturally occurring volcanic glass. It is formed when molten lava rapidly cools. Obsidian is found in Central Oregon in areas where lava flowed.

The color of obsidian brings to mind one of OSU’s school colors – black. Additionally, the design of Obsidian Hall features black trim and accents, making the new name particularly fitting.

Obsidian Hall was completed in 2016, the year the Bend campus opened. Sustainability components of the building include net zero-ready and energy efficiency features such as use of regional wood materials, a hydronic heating and cooling system, water-saving devices, triple-glazed windows, and readiness for connection to a possible future campus-wide heating plant.

The building is home to the Beaver Dam dining center and coffee shop, four classrooms including a maker’s space, and administrative offices.