The Naito Legacy Project is an interactive installation recognizing the civic contributions made by the brothers Bill and Sam Naito to the city of Portland. Over 30 years, the Naito brothers transformed dozens of dilapidated historic buildings into civic anchors that were economically viable, and socially meaningful to the city of Portland. The installation is housed in the University of Oregon White Stag Block.

The physical installation was the outcome of an interdisciplinary collaboration between outstanding Architecture and Digital Arts students, the Naito family, and interactive design firm Second Story. The work was produced by Nina Pavlich, Peter Baston, Sam Jeibmann, and Trevor Jones. I served as a faculty advisor.

The installation highlights the geographic impact of the brothers’ work as a large city map with lighted city blocks. An interactive screen embedded into the map serves as a portal to dig deeper into the history within the map. Through the ‘portal,’ the user can filter through their projects based on four themes: Inventing the More Liable City, Raising the Stakes in Urban Redevelopment, Supporting Dignity and Prosperity for All, and the Oldtown Neighborhood Rejuvenation. At each project, the user can browse through historical photographs and artifacts from the Naito family archive.