Trillium Creek Primary School West Linn-Wilsonville School District | West Linn, OR

The design team was inspired by one student who announced during a design charrette, “I want to be the captain of my own learning.” That notion was used as a basis to identify features and design techniques that emphasize that the building is student centered. Interior spaces are designed to intentionally blur the edges, supporting collaboration, utilizing floor space for transitions and connecting students throughout the building to the center of the school and inquiry – the library. Collaborative learning neighborhoods emerge from these open and flexible porches, supporting partnerships and a sense of community between students and teachers. Intentional spaces and furnishings throughout the building provide independent learning spaces and areas for small group work. Classroom porches, the library and wellness commons are designed with mobile furniture to give teachers and students the flexible space to extend lessons into larger gathering spaces.

Notions of community, collaboration and teaming drove the use of interior glazing and “see-through” design of the building. Visual connections reinforce the public nature of the work of teaching and learning and invite collaboration and teaming. Splashes of bright colors stem from students voicing desires to have vibrant learning spaces. Similarly, the slide that connects students from the second to first floor balances students’ desire to have alternative and stimulating components of the building, with opportunities to build skills around collaboration, mindfulness and respectful use of space.

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