Aspiration & Achievement
A new addition and modernization to reimagine an aging facility to support and expand learning opportunities in the Port Angeles community for decades.
PROJECT DETAILS
To support the vibrant Port Angeles school community, this school addition improves upon many challenging legacy conditions and meets raised expectations and aspirations with a place that meaningfully connects to its people and region on various levels of regional and town identity, the school community, the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe, the port, mountains and Salish Sea.
Beyond increasing capacity to accommodate the transition of 6th grade to the middle school, the addition and reconfiguration of existing spaces changes how the school relates to the site and community. A new entry sequence connects with the existing facility and creates a strong “heart of the school” where the core identity and social experience within the school resides. It also acts as a central orienting zone and a hub for accessing other spaces.
The addition also improves and adds amenities for outdoor learning, play, and athletics. The site design includes opportunities to connect with nature, learn and recharge outdoors, and engage with each other to create a welcoming environment for all students.
Key aspects of building orientation and organization, indoor outdoor spaces along with framed views, expressed structure, and long-term sustainable design strategies connect with the beauty of the region, and the students’ passion for where they live. Snow on the Olympics, the rhythm of trees along sub-alpine ridges, views of the distant Cascades, and the vast presence of the Salish Sea influenced the community and design team.
Ideas emerged from this context and resonate throughout the design. While embracing the striking beauty of the environment is an end to itself, engaging students with nature also has numerous practical. The design not only seeks abstract relationships with elements of the natural world of Port Angeles but expressly connects students with the outdoors and impactful learning environments.
