




The new Boones Ferry Primary School in Wilsonville is designed to resemble
a small village, creating a sense of smallness within largeness. The concept
for the school is to create a sense of place for young children within the
larger context of the overall school.
The new 76,000 square foot school will have a capacity for 700 students.
The West Linn-Wilsonville School District plans to add classrooms and a
gymnasium / activity center to expand the school to 83,000 square feet and
serve 800 students in the near future. Built on a wooded site with wetlands,
the natural environment became a huge consideration. The school's design
channels rainwater into swales, waterfalls and a waterspout at the entry
before being recycled. This provides opportunities for the students to study
and observe nature as they live in it.
The school is composed of two wings, each of which can function as a stand-alone
environment. The wings are connected by a central core that contains the
administration, media center, and building support spaces. Each wing incorporates
clusters of four classrooms organized around a shared "Front Porch"
multi-use space. The clusters arc around a large student commons with a
satellite serving kitchen, support spaces, gym, and covered play area. Within
the wing, a diversity of flexible spaces is available for individual, small
group, and large-group learning. The unique plan maximizes efficiency in
terms of adjacencies, travel distance, and flexibility.
The Learning Village is a captivating place that accommodates the needs of all learners in the community. The architecture is integrated with the natural environment. Some of the significant design features include:
- Adaptable spaces, which can be changed over time to accommodate the changing
needs of public education.
- Invite discovery, free of barriers for learning and personal enhancement.
- Encourage many different kinds of learning activities utilizing active
and quiet spaces.
- Have a presence of art, literature, math, and sciences expressed physically
in the structure.
- Incorporated student work into the structure.