GREATER ALBANY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Albany, Oregon

Located just beyond the city limits in Benton County, the Oak Grove Elementary School replacement, as a facility, was tasked with supporting the school district’s current and evolving curriculum while taking advantage of its wonderful countryside setting.  Replacing the previous structure on the project site, the new building program includes 22 classrooms, a combined stage/music room, administrative spaces, a cafeteria, a prep kitchen, a media center, a gymnasium, and a covered outdoor play area.

The central design concepts for Oak Grove Elementary were simple.  The facility had to be welcoming and inclusive not only the immediate school population, but also the broader community.  It also had to be connected to the natural environment.  Plentiful views throughout the building look out upon fields of grass seed and wooded areas. 

Material selection was rigorously considered for durability, value, and maintainability.  The program for the project was also scrutinized to make sure that no extra building area was being added to the project unnecessarily.  A two-story classroom wing and mechanical spaces that were elevated above grade resulted in an efficient and compact footprint. The classroom wing is sited east/west, providing ideal daylighting conditions for the education spaces.  The lighting systems are designed to monitor and react to the available daylight by dimming or shutting off completely when conditions allow.

PROJECT TYPE
Replacement Elementary School

CONSTRUCTION TYPE
New Construction

PROJECT DELIVERY
CM/GC

SIZE
65,000 SF