| FRIDAY | APRIL 29, 2022 3:00 – 4:30 PM
|
| Regional Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Summit |
|
Room: Culture / Fashion
The Association for Learning Environments is committed to addressing the entrenched systemic inequities that have long permeated our professions, learning environments, and society. We recognize that organizations are stronger and more effective when they truly reflect the diverse populations they serve. A Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee has been established to provide leadership in furthering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) for all A4LE members and communities we serve.
The ultimate goal is to create better learning experiences, better learning environments, and a better world.
The Pacific Northwest chapters of A4LE have been engaged in their individual JEDI initiatives. This JEDI Summit provides a unique opportunity to hear from representatives from each chapter about their efforts to date. Attendees will also participate in breakout sessions where we can collaborate with one another, with our unique perspectives, and talk about ways our JEDI initiatives can move forward.
Hear from these representatives:
- Ross Parker, AIA, LEED AP, ALEP, Principal, IBI Group, A4LE International Board JEDI co-Chair
- Ruwan Jayaweera, PE, LEED AP, Principal, PAE Engineers, PNW Board JEDI Representative
- Faye Strong, ALEP, GSC, Learning Environment Planner, Archiasmo, PNW Board JEDI Representative
- Glen Pak, AIA, Senior Associate, GBD Architects, President OR/SW Chapter
- Laura Roark, AIA, Associate Partner, FFA Architecture, OR/SW WA Chapter Board
- Liz Katz, AIA, ALEP, Architect, NAC Architecture, WA Chapter Board
- Scott Worthington, AIA, LEED AP, Principal, BDS Architects, AK Chapter Board, PNW Board President
- Mark Ayers, AIA, LEED AP, Associate, Ferraro Choi, HI Chapter Board President
- Sara Bjornson, Architect, Partner, studioHuB Architects, BC Chapter Governor
- Paul Blaser, SAA, AAA, AIBC MRAIC, LEED AP, Principal Architect, RBM Architecture, A4LE SK Chapter Secretary, JEDI Representative
- Heather Morgan, Education Specialist, DIRTT, SK Chapter Governor
|
| SATURDAY | APRIL 30, 2022 10:45 – 11:45 AM
|
| How to Become an ALEP: Overview and Requirements |
|
Room: Culture / Fashion
Discover: Why ALEP? The Accredited Learning Environment Planner (ALEP) designation identifies individuals who demonstrate and uphold the Core Competencies of Educational Learning Environment Design. Come find out the history, progression, and the two pathways for achieving the designation. Hear from current ALEP Commission members on what the designation and Core Competencies are about, what is involved to attain the designation, why it’s important to our industry, and the future goals of the Commission. We want you to be an ALEP too!
Brian Carter, AIA, ALEP, CEO, Integrus Architecture – ALEP Commission Member
Ed Peters, ALEP, Capital Projects Director, Edmonds – ALEP Commission Member
Liz Katz, AIA, ALEP, Senior Associate, NAC Architecture – ALEP Commission Member
|
| Student Engagement and the Creation of Student-Centered Space |
|
Room: Design 1
We asked: How do we make school more engaging for students? How can we create a place where students want to be? We believe the answer lies in active listening and engaging students in the design process in substantial and meaningful ways. We will share how we structured student engagement in the design of two recent middle school projects as a way to create student centered school environments Student engagement drops off significantly during middle-school years. Coupled with a COVID-19 slide and related social anxiety, it is critical that we create environments that support students during this critical period. We will review and discuss the strategies we used to include students in the design process; how we positioned students to contribute in meaningful and significant ways; and how we leveraged their ideas and insights in the completed schools. We’ll share successes and lessons learned from our recently completed Gardiner and Tumwata Middle School projects, including those gathered during our first year of occupancy, and will facilitate a discussion about strategies that might be employed moving forward.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe strategies our team employed to engage students in the design of educational facilities.
- Identify architectural elements that resulted directly from student engagement and input.
- Evaluate engagement strategies and resulting outcomes versus stated goals.
- Identify lessons learned and opportunities for meaningful engagement moving forward.
David Johnson, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, Principal, BRIC Architecture
A principal with BRIC architecture, David believes firmly in the transformative nature of design as a catalyst for profound, lasting, and positive impacts for learning. He is committed both to a highly collaborative approach to design and in incorporating meaningful student voice into the design process. Over his 25-year career, David has designed award winning educational facilities in New York, Washington, and throughout Oregon. Additionally, David has led important practice-building initiatives including XQ: The Super School Project, a competition to rethink the American high school, and served as a mentor for Gardiner Middle School’s SchoolsNEXT team.
Michael Sweeten, Director of Operations and Capital Improvements, Oregon City School District
Michael is the Director of Operations for the Oregon City School District with 21 years of experience. He began as a bilingual teacher, then elementary principal, before moving to middle school. He has served on the district Facilities Task Force, the Design Team, the Bond Steering Committee and as planning principal. Michael has a BA in Business Administration and Spanish from Southern Oregon University, Masters from Pacific University and an administrative license from Portland State University.
Wes Rogers, Bond Program Manager and Director of Capital Projects, Oregon City School District
Wes is the Director of Capital Projects for Oregon City School District. He has been at Oregon City School District since 1985 and previously served in various roles including Business Manager/Chief Financial Officer/Director of Operations. Wes managed the District’s 2018 Bond Program from initial planning to construction completion in 2022. The main emphases of the 2018 Bond Program were middle school, safety and security upgrades, new vision for makerspaces/CTE and over-crowding issues.
|
| Biophilia – A Foundation for Trauma Informed Design |
|
Room: Design 2
View presentation »
The entire world is struggling with the unforeseen challenges of COVID-19: Social isolation, a suffering economy, disruption of our socio-cultural framework and traditions. Many of our communities are grappling with social unrest and increased levels of violence. More and more children are suffering from anxiety, depression, and fear. Addressing these challenges requires a multi-faceted approach. As educational facility designers we have the responsibility and opportunity to impact the physical and mental wellbeing of all learners, educators, parents, and community members. The presenters believe that biophilic design principles hold the key to make trauma-informed design decisions. The young heroes of Lacamas Lake Elementary School made it very clear that they loved nature and wanted to continue to run amongst the trees, collect leaves, and observe wildlife after their 1960‘s open school campus would be replaced by a new, more secure building. Hero Principal, Julie Mueller, advocated throughout the design for a learning environment that functions and feels like a ”country school“, and is therefore grounded in biophilic design principles. Improving the physical and mental wellbeing of all learners by experiencing the richness of play in nature, complexity of ecosystems, and the calming effect of collecting leaves or bird watching was an objective that was enforced throughout the educational specification and design process. Not only are educators inspired to allow the seasons or daily weather patterns to inform the curriculum, but the interior of the building mirrors the calming qualities of nature so that learners experience a fluid environment with many degrees of “indoor-ness” and “outdoor-ness”. The presenters will combine an evidence-based overview of biophilic design strategies with built examples which exemplify each strategy, along with personal feedback by learners and educators.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the neurological and physiological impact of biophilia in the built-environment.
- Hear from students about the impact of biophilic design strategies.
- Formulate design aspirations around mental health.
- Develop trauma-informed design strategies grounded in biophilia.
Rene Berndt, AIA LEED AP, Associate Principal, Mahlum Architects, Inc.
Rene, Associate Principal at Mahlum, has 26 years of architectural experience and extensive knowledge of educational facilities. Rene has presented and discussed his research at conferences and workshops, both locally and internationally. His work has been featured in numerous design publications, including Architectural Record, and has been recognized with diverse regional, national and international design awards. Rene most recently led the design of the Lacamas Lake Elementary School in the Camas School District.
Eleanor Wakou, Mahlum Architects, Inc
Eleanor wrote a thesis during her last year of architectural education on “How Wood Can Improve Our Lives” based on biophilic principles. She recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelors of Architecture, but initially started her work with Mahlum pre-graduation as an intern. Eleanor loves spending time outdoors, sunshine, trees, and all, and is excited to discuss how we can bring the outdoors in through biophilic design.
Julie Mueller, Principal, Camas School District
Julie has served students, families and her hometown of Camas, WA as a teacher-leader for over 30 years. She started her career teaching elementary and middle school students but her passion for building community and fostering a positive, collaborative school culture inspired her drive toward Leadership. As principal, Julie used her years of living and serving in the Camas community to inspire, influence and collaborate for the design and vision of the new building.
|
| REdesigning the process: How a critical race spatial lens transformed our practice |
|
Room: Gallery
We stand at a pivotal moment in history; the momentous challenges we face as a community – both locally and globally – have never been more evident and our response will define the future. As people across our country face glaring inequities and recent events spark an intense debate around racial inequity, we recognized that racism and inequity are products of design and we believe they can also be redesigned. Through collaboration with a youth organizer and critical race-spatial scholar, we have transformed our design process to more intentionally advance equitable, just, and humane outcomes. By examining case studies and reviewing real-world implementation of critical race-spatial praxis and Liberatory Design principles, we have developed a community engagement approach which results in a rich tapestry of conversations, stories, relationships, and trust. Applied to planning and design, Critical Race Spatial Theory offers an innovative approach to amplify the voices of communities of color, examine how educational settings act to reproduce inequity, and identify institutional planning strategies that promote racial equity and social justice. This work requires a reexamination of the traditional design process and intentional disruptions of systems of oppression and inequity.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify ways to shape the inquiry phases of projects to improve the physical, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of building occupants.
- Develop a toolkit of approaches to enable equitable access to design and planning conversations for communities of color.
- Break down the planning and design practice elements that serve to reproduce inequity and to promotes continued systems of oppression in the built environment.
- Apply case studies to create equitable design and planning practices to disrupt traditional racist design processes.
Karina Ruiz, AIA, NOMA, LEED BD + C, Principal, BRIC Architecture
Karina Ruiz is a founding Principal of BRIC Architecture, the 2019 Chair of the AIA Committee on Architecture for Education, and a founding Board Member of NOMA PDX. As BRIC’s educational facility planning lead, Karina inspires their educational planning, community engagement, and design efforts to create a more equitable, just, and humane world. Her leadership is based in the ardent belief that design can strengthen pedagogy to more equitably serve the needs of learners.
Dr. Professor Amara H. Pérez Ph.D.
Amara H. Pérez is a long-time social justice educator, youth organizer, community-engaged researcher, and critical strategist. For over 25 years, her work within communities of color has been informed by popular education, critical theories, and participatory action research. Amara studies how critical race spatial praxis can be used as a methodology for spatial justice within educational institutions and local communities. As an educator she has worked within multiple learning spaces and with multi-faceted communities.
|
| Performing Arts – Heroes Behind the Scenes |
|
Room: Studio
It is easy to perceive performing arts education in a liberal arts framework.
- What about from a CTE perspective?
- What about from a challenged learner perspective?
- What about from an apprenticeship perspective?
- What about making learning relevant, converting a hesitant student toward learning security and better self-identification?
Are these perspectives wishful thinking, or are they actually possible? What if these perspectives are not only possible but are already being brought to life by educators who have already discovered the commonly overlooked secret that is present in performing arts education, far beyond the “elective” mindset that is cast upon the arts. There are educators who have discovered how the “behind the scenes” aspects of performing arts can be the catalyst to make the intangible real, and in doing so, bring relevance to education... and self-worth awareness to those who feel invisible. This presentation is for school designers and school district planners, to make a provocative and penetrating case for valuing technical and design aspects of performing arts as a CTE and STEM enhancement mega-opportunity for those kids who are visually and technically creative, but do not easily grasp the abstracts without an effective, tactile and immersive experience. The premise to be explored is that technical theatre and other forms of creative design (scenic, costume and such..) are an immersion laboratory where principles of science, math and engineering are married with art and awaken the Einstein and the Marc Chagall in some students who might otherwise flounder. There are kids who would never be an actor, but absolutely are enthralled with the idea of creating the world on stage where the audience is carried away into belief. Dr. Zena has been living this process in her career for decades, leading students who have considered giving up, to a place of educational and personal renewal... without being stars on stage. She has researched Cultural Sustainability provided in this approach as part of the work toward her Doctorate. She is a hero Behind the Scenes, creating hope and providing opportunities to make the rest of school, and life, relevant and rewarding to students... most of which come from a disadvantaged community. She will bring hands-on evidence to the success of this approach. This presentation may change the way you look at the performing arts portion of your next building project.
Learning Objectives:
- Programming, Project Planning and Design: Clearer evaluation of education benefits not historically associated with performing arts portion of secondary education schools, leading to possible shift in NSF program assignment. Improved understanding of the spatial and equipping requirements to properly support the “back of house” performing arts educational process.
- Student Safety: Understanding the risks associated with scenic and lighting work needed to produce a presentation, and the critical scientific training process that must be taught and employed so that students may actively participate in the effort to minimize risk to performers and audiences.
- Connection to STEM / CTE: Learn how mathematics, physics, engineering, and immediate applicable/marketable skills can be learned deeply and with relevance in the practical and immersive setting where lighting, color, set design, pigments, structures are realized when building and designing a show.
- Rescue of “difficult learners”: Learn how students who struggle to grasp abstract concepts in academics, or struggle to recognize the value of “going to school” when other things call to them, or have low self awareness of their potential and abilities, can find value, relevance and encouragement through non-performance “behind the scenes” engagement.
Chris Ochocki, Senior Theatre Consultant, PLA Designs
20 years in design, focused on educational performing arts venues. Member of the following professional associations:
- United States Institute of Theater Technology
- American Society of Theatre Consultants (PENDING: by the time of the event, he will have received membership)
Work Related to educational design standards:
- Portland Public Schools –Design Guidelines for MS & HS Performing Arts (2017)
- Seattle Public Schools – Design Guidelines for MS & HS Performing Arts (2021)
Mx. Zena, Ph.D., Theatre Teacher/Program Director, Leodis V. McDaniels High School / PPS
Theater Educator – 30 years
U of M Amherst – Professional Certificate Arts Mgmt
Lewis & Clark – M. Arts; Teaching, Theatre
Lewis & Clark – Ph.D.; Educational Leadership
Oregon Teacher Certification – TSPC
Peace Corps Governor Award – Outstanding Contributions of Native Tongue in Education
*American Alliance for Theatre Education (AATE) Member
*Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) Member
*American Educational Research Association (AERA) Member
*American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) Member
|
| SATURDAY | APRIL 30, 2022 1:00 – 2:00 PM
|
| A Case Study in Courage: Thinking Outside the Box to Re-Define the Future of CTE Education |
|
Room: Design 1
View presentation »
Across the country, vocational programs are being transformed into a more integrated approach. Career Technical Education has become crucial programming that is being incorporated into new schools and school modernizations nationwide. To reach all learners, students need to be offered a post-graduate path that includes more than just the option to attend a four-year college, creating more equity and opportunities among high school graduates. The benefits of CTE programming and project-based learning go beyond post-graduate opportunities, and increase engagement among students, provide varied types of learning styles and spaces, and allow students to explore their career passions earlier in their schooling. As a case study for CTE learning, and specifically the co-location of CTE and academic learning, this interdisciplinary panel will provide participants with insight on the current modernization of Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, Oregon. Bassetti is working with the Benson Polytechnic High School community to create a campus that will maintain the historic importance of the campus while adding new buildings that will modernize the school and add additional space for innovation. Benson is unique in that it is not a neighborhood school, but a focused option for students in the Portland Public Schools system that are interested in STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math) and CTE (Career Technical Education). Benson students are able to choose a tailored high school path for emphasis in a technical area. Course work being taught will offer trade work training, as well as industry partnerships that inform the programming and provide opportunity for internships in the community. In the current school model at Benson Polytechnic, the CTE spaces and academic classrooms are separate. The new design is focused on bringing these two types of learning together, by intermixing classrooms with CTE areas. This approach will provide a merged curriculum for students, and allow them to apply learning styles and tools from one to the other. Extensive stakeholder engagement and industry outreach aided the design outcomes. The team examined current practices and utilized outside the box thinking to consider how future industry could take shape, in order to provide a flexible and forward-thinking concept approach.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about various planning concepts for arrangement of CTE programs in a high school setting.
- Understand importance of robust stakeholder and industry engagement in the development of educational specification and early design concepts.
- Gain understanding of key features and attributes necessary for a co-located, interdisciplinary approach.
- Learn about the organization, implementation and coordination a successful CTE design, including planning for specialized equipment, workflow, classroom management, safety and services such as dust collection.
Lydia Burns, AIA, Associate Principal / Director of Project Management, Bassetti Architects
Lydia brings over 26 years of design experience, 22 years focused on K-12 schools. Associate Principal and Director of Project Management at Bassetti Architects, Lydia designs learning environments that cater to the success of all learning types. Lydia is currently Project Manager for the modernization of Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, working to co-locate CTE and academic learning to create one of the most comprehensive CTE programs in the state.
Dianna Montzka, Designer, LEED AP BD+C, Bassetti Architects
A designer at Bassetti Architects, Dianna has been heavily involved in the Benson Polytechnic High School project. She was a key player in the master planning process, development of site-specific educational specifications and stakeholder engagement to inform the design of the CTE shops. Through the planning and design process she has become an invested team member with a keen interest in the success of this school and its inhabitants.
Curtis Wilson, Jr., Principal, Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland Public Schools
Curtis has been with Portland Public Schools for 28 years and the Principal at Benson Polytechnic High School for the past seven years. In 2018, he was named High School Principal of the Year for the state of Oregon. Under his leadership, Benson’s graduation rate rose to nearly 89 percent; well ahead of the state average. Curtis graduated from the University of Oregon and received his Masters in Education from Portland State University.
Brian Gerber, Teacher, Benson Polytechnic High School, Portland Public Schools
A technology teacher for 18 years, Brian has been teaching eight years at Benson Polytechnic High School. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering and a Master of Arts in Teaching. Brian currently teaches a hands-on class using 3D modeling, 3D printing and CNC routers to manufacture skateboard decks and trucks. Brian participated on the BPHS Design Advisory Group and was a key stakeholder in the design of the manufacturing and engineering CTE departments.
|
| Authentic Engagement for a Multi-Cultural High School Design |
|
Room: Design 2
View presentation »
Portland's McDaniel High School modernization design process focused on bringing authentic engagement strategies to a multi-cultural urban high school with an emphasis on hands-on CTE / Science programs and building a strong sense of community. The session tracks a three-year process from master planning through design to engage with Portland’s most diverse school population where over 34 languages are spoken. Participants will learn a range of specific internal and external outreach, engagement, and design strategies that work to find common ground among diverse cultural communities. The session will include an interactive space programming and design “game” aimed at giving voice to communities about how different learning spaces resonate within their perspectives.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how meeting diverse communities “where they are” can break through cultural boundaries.
- Learn a set of hands-on group work discovery tools and technologies, including Virtual Reality, that can be designed to engaged diverse school populations.
- Learn how the McDaniel High School building design incorporates planning and architectural qualities resulting from an intensive engagement process that worked to reinforce the strong sense of school community. Arrival, proximity, transparency, and safety features have improved student well-being and spirit.
- Participate in an interactive group space programming activity that works to break through traditional understanding of space types, their possible learning activities and the emotional responses and connections students have to them that set the stage for stronger school communities.
Randall Heeb, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Principal, Opsis Architecture
Randall brings more than 30 years of experience creating innovative learning facilities, from K-12 through Higher Education, including many award-winning projects. He brings a focus on student-centered, problem-based learning spaces. His work on Community Colleges and Universities informs High School design so students experience a more seamless pathway. Sustainable design has been a guiding principle, focusing on practical solutions that engage students and enhance their experience and exploration of the built environment.
Ayana Horn, Project Manager, Portland Public Schools
With over 22 years of combined experience in interior design, strategic planning and design research, Ayana is a multi-faceted designer/ planner that values collaboration, has a strong commitment to innovative design and seeks to create spaces that nurture and inspire people in their living, work, play and learning environments. Ayana has led the coordination of faculty and staff with teaching space needs through two major high school rebuilds over the last 4 years.
Joann Dao Le, AIA, Principal, DAO Architecture LLC
Joann has over 30 years of experience on a broad range of project types and scales, spanning architecture, public art, and urban design. Her focus on educational and community college projects is often within the city’s most diverse and economically challenged neighborhoods. She is adept at translating the needs of minority, immigrant, special needs, or other underserved populations and capturing their educational and cultural essence within the work.
|
| Be the Hero Who Enhances the Accessible Educational Experience for Students with Disabilities |
|
Room: Gallery
Designing learning environments that increase a sense of belonging for all is assuredly a heroic and important goal, particularly when it comes to providing access to an inclusive education for students with disabilities. What are the priorities in designing learning environments for children and stakeholders with disabilities? What are the ramifications of non-compliance with state and federal access standards? In this informative session, participants will learn where to spend dollars on Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) facility upgrades when dollars are tight and how to address the needs of all children and stakeholders including underserved groups, protecting schools from complaints and lawsuits. Beginning with a very brief history of the ADA, the session quickly segues into identifying the key access areas on school campuses. Citing both Department of Justice established priorities and actual campus related complaints/lawsuits, it will become clear where resources should be directed when fulfilling their continual barrier removal obligation. A time for questions-and-answers will allow attendees to clarify many of their questions and concerns, both technical and otherwise, with a true expert in the field of accessibility compliance. In this session you will learn how to be a hero who makes a significant difference for good in the lives of students with disabilities by enhancing accessibility in their educational environment.
Learning Objectives:
- Apply a more creative approach to accessible design that focuses on exceeding minimum standards.
- Assess a school facility and identify where greater access in the educational environment is most beneficial and readily achievable.
- Engage the community to gain input and assessment assistance during and after design planning and facility construction.
- Gain an understanding of which state and federal accessibility codes pertain to schools.
Kristi Avalos, President/CEO, Accessology Too, LLC
Kristi is a nationally renowned leader in providing accessibility consulting services and is a sought-after speaker with a knack for using an upbeat approach to help others understand the complexities of ADA compliance. In 1990, Kristi founded Accessology Too, LLC which is a national leader in providing accessibility consulting services and is one of the largest U.S. firms dedicated solely to accessibility and access issues.
|
| Learning with the Land |
|
Room: Studio
The Farm is an 8-acre agriculturally based STEM program that serves high school students in the Franklin Pierce School District near Tacoma, WA. The learning experiences at The Farm are “hands in the earth”, collaborative and community-oriented, providing another educational pathway for young adults. The Farm property includes wetlands, native restoration planting areas, 2 acres of vegetable gardens, a community garden, beehives, numerous greenhouses, a barn for students to wash and prepare produce for distribution, and a variety of outdoor learning settings. School staff partner with a local community organization, like Harvest Pierce County, to teach weekly adult farming classes and offer community planting beds. Each year students and volunteers grow 50,000 pounds of produce for the school district, students, and their families, school staff, and the Franklin Pierce community. At The Farm students, staff, community members, and volunteers all engage in learning activities in the fields, gardens, greenhouses, and the barn. While the primary functions of the school occur outdoors, it is important that there be a place for collective reflection and discovery; to support student learning from STEM classroom and lab settings. In 2021 the district received grant funding to create an Agriculture Resource Center (ARC) at The Farm. This ARC will offer a STEM classroom/meeting space, administration spaces, and agriculture lab to support the various learning experiences on The Farm. These new spaces will facilitate student understanding by allowing deeper research to occur. Soils can be brought in for analysis, plants can be dissected and studied, and observations can be made that will help inform choices needed to ensure healthy crop production. The symbiotic relationship of students flowing from outdoor observations and activity to indoor study and reflection and back out for implementation and experimentation support student led learning cycles of problem-seeking and problem-solving that define the Agricultural STEM experience. This presentation will focus on how the new ARC on The Farm at Franklin Pierce supports the students, both high school and adult, and the community at large by combining altruism and education. By reviewing ways students use the ARC to experience the joy of supporting their community through cultivating food, while engaging educational exploration through agricultural production, we will show the strength of tying STEM learning to tangible outcomes that benefit the community. Connections to community, connections to nature, connections to one another.
Learning Objectives:
- Impart the effect of agricultural problem-solving, community service and connection to the earth through farming on student success.
- Explore the symbiotic relationship between laboratory and field learning opportunities in relation to student exploration and discovery in STEM education.
- Describe how STEM programs and real-world creative collaborations enhance student learning through programs that also benefit community.
- Incorporate timeless lessons from biophilia, agriculture, and community use into the design of learning environments.
Benjamin Fields, Project Designer, McGranahan Architects
Benjamin believes that architecture responds to the spirit of the place, the zeitgeist. He believes the community is a large part of that spirit, they help define what a building wants to be and what it should be. They are the social context for all their work. As a Project Architect, he works within project boundaries to refine and clarify the design of a project to the fullest extent possible. Benjamin works to sharpen the design focus of the project team and pull the concept and design ideals into every aspect of the project, no matter how small. He aspires to create spaces that enhances the daily life of students, families, teachers, and community members. His goal is to leave a positive legacy of engagement and beauty with every client. Educational Experience: AA (architecture) Lower Columbia College; BS (architecture) Washington State University; Masters of Architecture Washington State University; LEED Accredited Professional (BD+C); Currently enrolled in ALEP Program Cohort 8.
Robin Heinrichs, Executive Director of Support Services, Franklin Pierce School District
Robin is the Executive Director of Support Services at Franklin Pierce School District. He has been with Franklin Pierce since 2012. Robin has responsibility for the district’s operations, maintenance, nutrition services and transportation programs. He also heads up Franklin Pierce’s capital construction program. Robin’s early upbringing took place in Oregon’s Willamette valley and later in Latin America. Robin graduated with a degree in Natural Science with major course work in chemistry and biology from Fresno Pacific University where he also played soccer. He went on to enter a master’s program at the University of Minnesota in genetics and cell biology. Robin’s career pathway has taken some unexpected turns over the years. After marrying his college sweetheart, he moved to Kodiak, Alaska where he was self-employed as a general contractor providing design-build services for clients in that community while the couple raised their 4 children. In 1999 Robin took a job as Project Manager for a civilian contractor at the US Coast Guard Base in Kodiak providing public works and municipal services ranging from operation of industrial utility plants to maintenance of 1,800,000 SF of facilities and management of over 21,000 acres of government property. Robin later became involved as a Program Manager managing private sector construction contracts working for the Department of Defense (DOD) throughout the US. He oversaw construction of over $360M in DOD projects from 2006 to 2010. Robin enjoys spending time with his family including his six grandchildren. He enjoys family activities, working in his yard, and attending collector car shows.
Tim Bremner, Director College and Career Readiness, Franklin Pierce School District
Tim is originally from the Pacific Northwest, became an adult in Oakland, CA for 20 years and has recently returned to Tacoma, WA. As a white heterosexual cis-gendered man, he works for a present and a future where one’s life outcomes are not pre-determined by skin color or other social constructions. Teaching and education has become the way that he can channel the urgency he feels into social systems change and to make his daily personal and professional life align with his values of justice, freedom and sustainability. He worked in the Oakland Unified School District as teacher, Academy Director, and Pathway Administrator since 2003. He founded the Sustainable Urban Design Academy (SUDA) at Castlemont High School in East Oakland and worked as a Linked Learning Pathway Coach to develop the second pathway on campus, the Community Health Equity Academy (CHEA). He is now the Director of College and Career Readiness at Franklin Pierce School District, Tacoma Wa. Bremner shares his life with his spouse and two children.
|
| SATURDAY | APRIL 30, 2022 2:15 – 3:15 PM
|
| Providing Seismic Safety in Northwest Schools: A Discussion of State Rehabilitation Programs in Oregon and Washington |
|
Room: Design 1
Consistently throughout the Pacific Northwest, school safety is at the forefront of people’s minds. One important consideration in school safety is how buildings in our vast school inventory will individually perform in the wake of potential natural events such as earthquakes and tsunamis.
Yet both facility upgrade needs and remediation approach can vary significantly between districts, and states in the pacific northwest. In a series of short presentations followed by discussion, we will:
- Explore the geological hazards that exist in the PNW, and particularly the data developed by Wa. State Department of Natural Resources through their School Seismic Safety project.
- Discover how state seismic rehabilitation grant programs in Washington and Oregon are working to provide seismic safety to vulnerable facilities in school building inventories.
- Delve into programmatic approaches, including prioritization of funding and distribution of resources in state seismic safety programs.
- Survey varying technical engineering approaches and their impact on program continuity, safety, equity, sustainability, and resilience.
- Case study lessons learned from the visioning, design, and implementation of a recently completed school seismic upgrade utilizing the resources made available from Washington State’s School grant program.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn how the need for seismic school safety is currently being addressed through seismic safety programs in Oregon and Washington.
- Clarify grant funded opportunities to upgrade seismically vulnerable schools in various districts, regions, and states throughout the northwest.
- Explore our responsibility as designers and facilitators to appropriately distribute resources and prioritize funding for districts with outstanding needs throughout our region.
- Understand how exploring and refining engineering approach to seismic rehabilitation can positively impact program continuity, safety, equity, sustainability, and resilience at a given educational facility.
Theresa Daniel, PE, SE, Associate Principal, Structural Lead, Integrus Architecture
Theresa leads Integrus Architecture’s structural engineering group. With a degree in architectural engineering and a career focused on creating innovation in learning environments, she has been responsible for the design of more than 40 new and renovated school projects throughout the Pacific Northwest. Theresa’s focus is to provide resilient value driven structural solutions that align with educational goals and resonate with learners. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including two McConnell F\finalists, and three national AIA CAE awards.
Randy Newman, Director of School Facilities & Organization, Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Randy will present and represent Washington’s seismic rehabilitation needs and grants availability and process from the State’s perspective.
Loyd “Travis” West, Geophysicist, Pqp, Washington State Department of Natural Resources
|
| Empowering Student Voices for Design Justice |
|
Room: Design 2
View presentation »
The development of the Multiple Pathways to Graduation (MPG) building program and masterplan included involvement from numerous Portland Public Schools staff and stakeholders, but most notably student voices. Profiles of MPG students vary, therefore successful pathways to graduation typically include a process in which scale, pace, and learning styles are more personalized around student needs. MPG teachers focus their teaching styles on differentiated learning practice. Smaller class sizes, individualized lesson planning, and a deeper focus on the needs of the “whole child” (social, emotional, and physical – in addition to academic) are typically required to support a successful student journey to graduation. The facility that houses these schools needs to be responsive to and support these teaching methods. The best strategy our design team felt to get insights on the student experience was obviously through engagement with the students themselves. This session take a close look at the unique student engagement process which allowed the District and the Design Team to gain invaluable information on the school programs. As this facility will continue to provide an alternative approach to large high schools and allow students the ability to choose alternative educational pathways, it was important to understand how to support each student’s unique needs.
Learning Objectives:
- Tools and resources for effective community and student engagement, with a focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Critical Race Theory (CRT) principles.
- How Trauma Informed Design (TID) strategies can be applied to projects to support students.
- Example curriculum for an in-depth student engagement process.
- Recent case study examples of design solutions that support unique alternative school programs.
Joe Echeverri, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Principal, Bassetti Architects
Joe is a Principal at Bassetti Architects with over 20 years of experience. As the leader of Bassetti’s Portland office, he plays an active role in local, sustainable design, with a keen interest in modernizing existing and historic school buildings. Joe’s interest in K-12 architecture was infused by growing up among a family of educators. In addition to his passion for design, Joe enjoys inspiring students through volunteer and intern mentorship programs within the greater Portland area.
Lorna Fast Buffalo Horse, Area Senior Director of Multiple Pathways to Graduation, Portland Public Schools
Lorna is Director of Multiple Pathways to Graduation in Portland, Oregon. Lorna has served for the last 15 years as a high school principal. During her tenure as principal at Alliance High School over the last six years the school was twice named one of the top 50 high schools in Oregon. She has consistently gravitated toward schools and programs that support students who have dropped out of school or are at risk of doing so, and has, along with her staff, raised achievement and graduation rates. Prior to becoming a principal, Lorna served as a Dean of Students, Multicultural Coordinator, ESL/Bilingual, Migrant Education and Indian Education Coordinator for a district in Washington. Lorna is currently working on her doctorate at Portland State University, where she is studying alternative school policy and its impacts for at-risk students.
Jackie Santa Lucia, AIA, LEED AP, Co-Founder, Program Director, Your Street Your Voice
Jackie is the co-founder and program director of Your Street Your Voice and EmpowHER at Camp ELSO. Jackie is an architect and educator, with a focus on social and environmental equity in design. She has a background in experiential design through community and education institutions, with particular interest in inclusive cultural spaces. Jackie has experience in practice at Hacker Architects, as a public agent at Prosper Portland, working with community partners and the city alike. She has worked with high school students at Your Street Your Voice, the PLACE program, and the Workshop School. Jackie has also been an architectural critic at University of Oregon, Portland State University, Philadelphia University, Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania and Syracuse University.
Dena Eaton-Colles, Alliance High School Student, Bassetti Architects
|
| Behavioral Support in the Built Environment: How the built environment can support positive intervention |
|
Room: Gallery
View presentation »
Schools today are tasked with supporting the entire student, often requiring staff and administration to support students in overcoming behavioral issues often influenced from the outside world before they can focus on academics. How can schools successfully navigate challenging behavior and use those moments to effectively teach lifelong social and emotional skills? Positive behavioral intervention programs require a heroic cultural shift within the school and can be dramatically affected by the built environment. Space adjacencies and, adaptability, along with thoughtful and intentional design elements can reflect the desired culture and behavioral expectations. This course will dive into how the built environment can support and promote positive student behavior and overall school culture, providing examples and specific case study in Glover Middle School.
Learning Objectives:
- How do positive behavioral intervention program operate within a school and the benefits they bring to the student.
- Understanding potential hurdles or school cultural shifts that may be needed to make a behavioral intervention program successful.
- Gain understanding of specific design elements and components that can support positive culture and student behavior.
- Gain understanding of how the built environment and school culture can support the entire student’s family and overcome negative generational views of the educational system.
Kelly Hendrickson, Interior Designer, NAC Architecture
As an interior designer, Kelly has focused on educational planning and engaging users in space planning that supports the education goals of the owner. With intimate knowledge of educational spaces, she adeptly applies color and finish selections to create comprehensive environments that form a positive learning setting for students of all ages. Kelly is a graduate of Washington State University and an Associate Principal at NAC Architecture.
Mark Lund, Principal, Spokane Public Schools
Mark is a Principal at Glover Middle School, where he has spent the last five years. Mark is passionate about developing cultures that are grounded in unconditional belonging and access. The Glover community has earned its place in the top one percent of the country, a statistical outlier, in staff culture and climate as measured by nationally normed staff perception data. Mark is currently pursuing his doctorate and superintendent’s credential through Washington State University.
|
| The Music Room: K-12 Music Pedagogy and How it Informs Design |
|
Room: Studio
What to kids “do” in a music class? What are the activities? How is it different at each level (ES, MS, HS) and do they really need all that storage? What’s the difference between band, orchestra and choir rooms at each level of education and how would the room be different for each function? What if there is a specialty program, like mariachi, steel drums, hand drumming or a piano lab? How does the program change the requirements of the room? What questions should you ask the music specialists and how can you interpret their needs. Have you ever had a music teacher tell you that they don’t want the kids’ voices to get lost in the room? How can you get 65 kids into an instrument storage room and back into their seats in 4 minutes? What about the size and shape of each room? What materials will you use on the walls and ceilings? Get into the gritty details of why band rooms need double doors without a mullion, who needs a flat floor, who needs risers and the age old question: carpet or VCT? We will cover what typical music curriculum requires at each grade level and how to design a room that supports those needs. At the end of this session, attendees should have a tool box of questions to ask the specialists and understand the implications of those answers and how they apply to the design and construction of a music facility.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about typical music education pedagogy at elementary, middle and high school grades.
- Learn about typical music education pedagogy for Band, Choir, Orchestra, General Music, Specialty programs and how those will affect the design of the room.
- Leave with a kit of questions and a dialogue framework to take to their next music and arts client and understand the impacts of those answers.
- Understand the design implications of music programs within K-12 educational facilities.
Whitney Henion, Capital Projects Lead, Vancouver Public Schools #37
Whitney holds a Bachelor of Science, Architecture and Minor in Music from Washington State University, as well as an ALEP Certificate. She serves on the City of Camas Design Review Committee, is active in the education community with Women in STEM programs, and lecturing about Architectural education to HS and Middle School kids whenever she gets a chance. She plays classical viola in a variety of groups and celebrates when she can get paid to play music.
Greg Henion, Liberty MS Band Teacher, Camas School District #117
Greg holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music Performance degrees from Washington State University. He is now in his 28th year of teaching Middle School Band, Drumming and Drama classes. Greg plays percussion in the Southwest Washington Wind Symphony, local jazz bands and the music department at First United Methodist Church. He also works as a percussion instructor at Lake Samish Music Camp, which is a passion that has led to 27 summers of musical fun.
|