October 30, 2000

Spring Mountain Elementary School

With most of the easy construction sites already taken, school designers in Clackamas, Ore., have taken to the hills, or at least the hillsides.

Photos by Dave Davidson Photography

Architects Barrentine.Bates.Lee recently completed the Spring Mountain Elementary School in Clackamas with the challenge of fitting it into an existing neighborhood of higher-end homes and onto a site that slopes an average of 14 percent.

By turning the slope into a feature, the architects were able to provide access to both levels of the two-story building as well as maximize views and natural lighting in interior spaces.

The slope made interior circulation more complicated but it allowed a "friendlier" face on the side next to nearby residences, according to Lang Bates, a partner in the Lake Oswego, Ore.-based design firm.

Two levels of classroom "houses" flank the central Media Center. The classrooms feature corner windows, multi-media wiring and operable walls.

The main school facilities can be secured separately from the gym, cafeteria and childcare spaces, allowing them to be used for community events.

Robinson Construction was the contractor and KPFF Consulting Engineers was structural engineer. Andrew N. Rice was landscape architect for the $7.4 million school. Civil engineers were Compass Engineering and Interface Engineering handled mechanical and electrical engineering.

Do you have photos of recent projects? Share them with DJC readers. Send high-resolution images and information to lisa.lannigan@djc.com.

Previous columns:

• Millennium Plaza Park, 10-23-2000
• A look at the Spokane Valley YMCA, 10-16-2000
• SHS.com, 10-09-2000
• A look at the Belltown Lofts, 10-02-2000
• From drab to fab: CNA transforms office suite, 09-25-2000
• A look at the Bainbridge Island City Hall, 09-18-2000
• A look at the Orcas Island church and school, 09-12-2000
• A look at the Immersant corporate offices, 09-04-2000