1UNIfied: Urban Nature Institute for the Future of EducationPortland, OR

Hannah Feil - University of Oregon - M. Arch 2012G. Gast - T. Gordon - T. Huyck - Waterfront Terminal Studio

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3Table of Contents

Project Statement 5Program and User Descriptions 7

Education Philosophy 11-15Project Objectives 17

Site Analysis 18-25Urban Neighborhood Context

Urban Design Analysis

Interactive Learning District Urban Design Group 26

Pre-design 31Site and Building Design 38

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5The Background Did you know that the current model for public education is the same model that was developed during the Industrial Revolution more than 162 years ago? In the United States, our society is filled with individuals bursting with innovation, yet the public school system is inefficiently educating future innovators. These future innovators are currently educated in an industry of education where age-sorted groups of students follow an incohesive subject-based curriculum along one track. This factory-model of education creates a student as the product of a systematically conformist production plan neglecting the most important ingredient of innovation, individuality. The factory-model of education places limits and constraints on the potential creativity inherently a part of all people.

Public education needs to change.Its time to rethink our educational models.

We need a new model.

The Reggio Emilia philosophy of education establishes the individual as the leading role in their education by embody-ing the belief that, inherently, every individual has the capability to learn, therefore to embrace and excel through their individual creativity. This pedagogical approach to education casts the individual student as the leader, the teacher as a support, and the learning space as the guide.

The collaboration of the Portland Public School District, the Outdoor School Program and the City of Portland - tack-ling this outdated factory-model of education - have created a catalyst for future learning, UNIfied: the Urban Nature Institute for the Future of Education. The Urban Nature Institute (UNI) is a redefinition of educational facilities utiliz-ing the Reggio Emilia approach to education, the ultimate outdoor classroom of the Willamette River, and an empha-sis on community to rethink the possibilities of educational facilities. The Urban Nature Institute (UNI) is a curriculum-derived educational facility in the Interactive Learning District of Portland, Oregon focused on nurturing individual creativity at all ages.

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7The Program Located near downtown in the Interactive Learning District on the east bank of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, UNI brings together: a K-5 school facility, a public learning caf and bookstore, an educational exhibit space, and community gathering space. These community assets for K-5 students, educators, and the general public collaboratively redefine what an educa-tional facility should be by bringing together students of all ages with unique educational goals into one holistic learning space. The K-5 facility consists of a mixture of flexible instructional spaces, meeting spaces for different group sizes, rooftop learning landscapes, and an indoor play space; the learning cafe, bookstore and educational exhibit space serve as a reception area for the general public; and the community gathering space (the Great Hall) can be used by all.

The Users The user groups of the Urban Nature Institute (UNI) are: K-5 students, teachers, instructors, administrators, building staff, and the general public of all ages.

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8Children, ages 5 - 12, will be the main users of the building. The curriculum will be devoted to a project-based learning approach to teaching elementary school age children.

The range from 5 years old to 12 years old is a large span of critical child development. At 5 years old children are learning how to learn, and at 12 years old children are continuing to learn how to learn to prepare for their transi-tion to middle school.

Children have a need for self-expression, explo-ration, active participation, and play.

The parents will have access to the facility for pick up and drop off of their children as well as access to the Parent Resource Center.

This space will house a resource library and staff available for meetings and counseling for assistance with their families. This will also be a social meeting place for parents to get together to socialize.

The collaboration with parents and guardians within the educational facility is crucial for developing a community base.

Portland Public School teachers as well as teachers from throughout the area will have access to the building during teacher resource conferences. This will allow teachers to learn new ways to teach innovative curriculum in the classrooms.

The facility aims at becoming a catalyst within the educational community. The innovation that develops within the facility must transcend to other realms of education. The teacher resource center and conferences will be critical for continuing the lifelong learning of our childrens educators.

Children / Students - Main Users of the Educational Facility

Parents and Guardians - Parent Resource Center

Teachers - Teachers Resource Center

9The community will have access to the building after hours and during regular hours for use of communal spaces. The community user group will consist of all ages and economic back-grounds. There will be access to classrooms, the gym, and other spaces for community classes held when regular children educational programs are not in session.

The development of this educational facility as a community hub will help to achieve holistic learning throughout the curriculum. Learning does not happen in only one way. The influ-ence of real world attributes will be a crucial part of the curriculum. Community engagement in lifelong learning will escalate the resources within the facility.

Aside from the students in the building, the building staff will make up the largest con-sistent user group. This group will consist of educators for the community, parents, teach-ers, and children. The group will also consist of administrators for the educational programs and community events and a maintenance staff to maintain of the building.

The building staff will be important to main-taining the three-dimensional textbook. The integrated systems throughout the building will need to be maintained and fully understood to become a large component of the learning process for visitors of the building.

Site Users: Children: Ages 5-12

Parents/Guardians: All Ages

Teachers: All Experience Levels

Community: Residents and Visitors

Building Staff:Administration and

Educators dedicated to a new way of thinking about education

Clients: Portland Public Schools and the Urban Outdoor Schools

Portland Public Schools will be the owner of the facilities and the Urban Outdoor School will man-

age the facilities with their curriculum and programmatic features.

Community - Community Resource Center

and Event Space

Building Staff - Educators, Administrators,

Maintenance

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John DeweyExperimentation

Jean PiagetDevelopmental Psychology

Maria MontessoriThe Prepared Environment

Viktor LowenfeldArt Education

Lev VygotskySocial Psychology

Benjamin BloomTaxonomy of Thinking

Howard GardenerMultiple Intelligences

Sandra N. Kaplan and Bette Gould

Interdisciplinarity

Robert J. SternbergTriarchic Theory of Success-

ful Intelligence

Spencer KaganCooperative Strategies for

Learning

Anne Taylor and George Vlastos

Design and Environment

-Children are intensely active therefore curriculum should reflect active interests.

-Children learn through concrete action, research, discov-ery, and construction in developmental stages.

-The curriculum is embedded in selected manipulatives in the environment.

-Children are motivated when they identify deeply with what is being learned.

-Learning occurs in social and cultural settings.

-Higher level thinking extends beyond factual knowledge.

-Gardeners theory has many applications in the class-room as educators seek to reach all learners.

-Thematic interdisciplinary units of study allow for in-depth learning.

-The Triarchic Theory of human intelligence helps teach-ers design curriculum to meet analytic, creative, and practical abilities in students.

-Kagans Cooperative Learning is a practical guidebook to key concepts behind cooperative learning.

-The physical environment is a silent curriculum.-The physical environment is pedagogy.-Physical surroundings deeply affect the learning and behavior of teachers and students.

-Learning is a continual process of reorganization, reconstruc-tion, transformation, experimentation, and reflection.

-Children construct and reconstruct meaning through experimentation and error.

-The well-provisioned environment supports learning in practi-cal, sensory, and formal ways.

-There are many ways to motivate creativity in children, and teachers need to learn such techniques.

-Learning occurs through the adaptive process of internalization.

-Blooms cognitive categories include: Knowledge, Comprehen-sion, Application, Analysis, Sythesis, and Evaluation.

-Intelligences: Verbal, Logical/mathematical, Rhythmic, Visual/spatial, Interpersonal, Kinesthetic, and Naturalistic.

-Systems thinking is a valuable tool for curriculum planning.

-There are patterns learners follow to solve problems; they move from recognizing and defining problems to devising strategies, collecting data, and evaluating results.

-Teams and team-building, class building, Cooperative manage-ment, Will to cooperate, Skill to cooperatie, and Structures for cooperation. -Design education provides a dynamic system for integrating curriculum.-Architecture and design studio workshops form a model for ap-plied learning for all subject matter. Re

sear

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nne T

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and E

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tion)

Below is a chart of Influential Educational Theorists. The theories provided will be a key component to UNI in addition to the heart of the pedagogical approach - Reggio Emilia. As a catalyst for the educational community at large, UNI will utilize the expertise of

the theorists provided to portray educational paradigms architecturally - focused on the success of the individual learner.

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Project H: Learning Landscapeprojecthdesign.org

Educational Facility like a Childrens Museum:Three-Dimensional Textbook Anne Taylor and George Vlastos

Reggio Emilias Atelier Workspace:The Design Studio for Project Based Learning

Gandini, et al. In the Spirit of the Studio

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Cultural

Design ideas from cultural in-stitutions are applied to school design: museums, galleries, plazas, health centers, local ethnicity and style, the work-place, families, and homes.

The studio learning model, experiential learning, and de-sign education are borrowed from architecture as teaching tools. The entire process of learning is visually and verbally documented. Performance is critiqued and assessed in more depth than testing alone can provide.

The Design Studio for Project-Based Learning

Built

Building systems teach through structural clarity, or legibility as described by Kevin Lynch (1993). The curriculum deter-mines the design of the archi-tecture.

Behind every object is an idea or concept. Learners read physical objects and translate them into ideas. Thus, archi-tecture is pedagogy. Physical elements or manifestations in the environment act as visual cues or prompts for learning.

The Three-Dimensional Textbook

Natural

School Playgrounds function as community parks, nature trails fitness courses, gardens, zoos, habitats, weather stations, and places for experimentation.

Students perform site analysis as curriculum for understand-ing the life zone: climate, topography, plant and animal life, water, and more. Land-scape architecture of the playground becomes a learn-ing tool. Students analysis and collect data.

The Learning Landscape

Architecture

Education

Summary of Unifying Concept

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arch

:The

Info

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Arc

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Des

ignThe development of the Learning Landscape, Three-Dimensional Textbook, and Studios for Project-Based Learning stems

from the philosophical approach to education by Anne Taylor and George Vlastos. The subject matter taught in schools is divided into three categories: Natural, Built, and Cultural. Through the comparison of architecture and education within the three subjects,

a new space is created. These three created spaces will be at the heart of the Urban Nature Institute.

14Johansson & Walcavage, Rusk Childrens PlayGarden (1998) at NYU Medical Center, New York City

www.landscapeonline.com /research/article/7132

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Natural Elements

Multisensory Elements

Agricultural Elements

Built Elements

Outdoor Classroom Elements

Cultural Elements

Transitional Elements

Climate, plants, animals, habitats, soils and rocks, sun and shadows, water, hills/topography, wetlands, and more.

Variety in textures, colors, patterns, sounds, tastes, and smells.

Gardens of all kinds, farms, orchards, irrigation systems, land management areas, ainmal pens.

Play structures and equipment, exercise equipment, pathways, bermed earth, steps, shade structures, sports venues, pavillions, gazebos, seating, storage, fencing, walls, ground surfac-ing and graphics, signage, rooftop play areas.

Weather stations, energy stations (windmills, solar panels), sundials, amphitheaters, musical playscapes of outdoor instruments, nature trails, fitness trails, solar greenhouses, water har-vesting systemes, science labs

Indigenous design, entryways, student art, public art, courtyears, plazas, gathering spaces for different-sized groups, architectural styles, local materials, separate access for public use.

Ways to being the outside in and to expand the learning environment, including porches, patios adjacent to classrooms, decks, sunrooms, terraces, openable walls, and windows, vis-tas, skylights, open courtyards, roof gardens/green roofs, vertical wall plantings/green walls, landscape inclusion indoors, intelligent facades and new photovoltaic functions, transparency in design, juxtaposition of formal and naturalistic landscapes (terraced hillsides, cascading drains, lily ponds in courtyard settings).

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A Direct Connection to the Ultimate Outdoor Classroom: The Willamette River in Portland, ORThe Urban Nature Institute will be designed as a whole with as much emphasis on the outdoor environment as on the indoor facility. There is limitless learning potential on the school grounds that will be incorporated holistically with the building itself. The grounds of UNI are a learning landscape, offering outdoor spaces for learning math, science, history, art, literature, ecol-

ogy and stewardship. (*List adapted from Taylors Linking Architecture and Education)

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Project Objectives and Goals

1. The building itself will be a three-dimensional textbook that shows how the building was put together, how it uses resources, and how the building interacts with the site and its surroundings, especially the Willamette River.

2. The users of the building will feel that each space fits their needs in scale and in physical necessity.

3. A sense of warmth, welcomeness, and invitation will be expressed in the building to display the hopes of the building becoming a catalyst in the community and something to imitate in the realm of education.

4. Although the building should be forward-thinking, innovative, and technologically advanced, it should reflect the culture and history of its place.

5. The project should have incredible flexibility in its spaces to provide timeless engagement in any educational situation while maintaining an identity of innovation and forward thinking.

6. The building should be accessible to everyone while maintaining a sense of safety and security for all programmatic features to maintain a true sense of comfort for full educational experience.

7. Through the innovation of learning landscapes, the building as a three-dimensional textbook, and studio-based learning environments, the facility will become the epitome of the educational building of the future.

Proj

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1952 1970 1990

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1994 2000 2011

Site AnalysisWillamette Central Reach

Portland, Oregon

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site

car trac

street car trac

new bridge

river trac

transit/trac analysis

The site falls within the City of Portlands Willamette Central Reach area. The area of the Central Reach is shown in the diagram above. The five different regions are the neighborhood districts associated with the Cen-tral Reach plan. The top left parcel is the River District, center left parcel is the Downtown District, and the lower left parcel is the South Water-front District. The top right parcel is the Lloyd District and the lower left parcel is the Eastbank District or Interactive Learning District where the site for the Urban Nature Institute will be located. The division of parcels along the waterfront allows for a unique identity within each district which all relate to the common thread of the Willamette River.

Portland has a network of transportation systems: mass transit and freeways. The diagram above begins to investigate the different trans-portation threads. The combination of the Streetcar system and Light Rail System allows for a wide coverage of mass transit. The location of the Urban Nature River Center is not connected to the system. With the introduction of the future Trimet mass transit bridge, the site will be in the midst of a critical transit center, allowing for significant connec-tions from all parts of the center of Portland.

Site

Ana

lysi

s, P

ortl

and,

OR

river district

lloyd district

eastbank district

downtown district

south waterfront

district

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Diagram 1. Locations of Light Rail Stations from PSU to OMSI.

Diagram 2. The Route of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project connecting the

innovation quadrants.

Diagram 3. Conceptual Illustration of the TriMet Bridge

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Exis

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Port

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This section explores the masterplanning ef-forts surrounding the Portland-Milwaukee Light Rail Bridge and its influences on the site of the URLLC.

Neighborhood Context:The OMSI Station area has a rich industrial history and is largely characterized by ware-house, distribution and manufacturing uses, with some commercial and instituitional uses including the OMSI, PCCs Workforce Training Center, Portland Opera and the future Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation museum.

Opportunities stated by the Portland-Mil-waukie Light Rail Project Master Plan:1. Create eastside transit hub with regional connections.2. Connect to future OMSI Streetcar Station3. Coordinate with future development of Portland Opera site.4. Connect to complementary institution on west side of the river.5. Coordinate with the future development of ORHFs Rail Museum.6. Coordinate with OMSIs master planning of its 21.4 acre property.7. Connect to the river and Eastback Esplanade.8. Construct a new Water Avenuce for vehicles.

Urban Design Vision:The station and related enhancements recognize the areas industrial history while also embracing aspirations to transition to a vibrant civic, education and employment district. The stage is set for future developments by OMSI, the Port-land Opera, the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation and other neighboring property owners. With improved bicycle and pedestrian circulation and good connections to the greenway, buses and streetcar, this station area is integrated with the rest of the City. It now uses the SE Division crossing to connect to southeast neighborhoods and the Willamette River Bridge to reach across the river to OHSU and other institutions in the Innovation Quadrant.

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Willamette River

Ross Island

Ross Island

Bridge/HWY

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Marquam B

ridge

Hawthorne Bridge

Ross Island Sand and Gravel

Company

SITE(current site of Portland Spirit)

Future Expansion of OHSU

Future

Tri Me

t Bridg

e

OMSIPortland

Opera SustainableNorthwest Wood

Eastbank Esplanade

Hosford - AbernathyNeighborhood

Lloyd District

Eastbank District

DowntownPortland

ClimbingCenter

The diagram above locates the critical surrounding building types for the site (indicated in yellow). The site is surrounded by a combination of industrial building types (Sustainable Northwest Wood, Ross Island Sand and Gravel) and public buildings (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and the Portland Opera). The diagram to the left shows the contextual makeup of the area along with the structures within the river.

With the future expansion of OHSU and the direct connection with the Tri Met bridge, the area will begin to develop an innovation hub.

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Futur

e Tri M

et/Pede

strian

Bridge

Reconnect the Esplanade

with Existing Trail System

Connection from 99 to the

waterfront and nearby businesses/

activities

Integrate Green Spaceinto the industrial area

Extend connection to nearby neighborhoods

Direct connection tothe OHSU Campus

Future major transitstop for downtown

commuters and passerbysDevelop a more

pedestrian-friendly connection through 99

Willamette River: Access to the Water

The Eastbank of the Willamette River (blue line) consists of the Eastbank Espla-nade and the Springwater Trail (green line). There is a critical link (green dashed line) between the two missing. This location is the site for the Urban Nature River School. The Hosford - Abernathy Neighborhood located to the east of the east-bank of the Willamette River could have a very critical connection (dashed purple line) to downtown Portland via the future Trimet Bridge (orange dashed line), but Highway 99 (purple lines) is a barrier along the east side of the site that stops this critical connection. The development of a pedestrian friendly connection between the east and west sides of the highway will develop at the location of the site. Im-age included in text is an easy design schematic for the future Trimet bridge.

Climate data for Portland, Oregon can be found above. The psychometric chart indicates the heating and cooling seasons for Portland. The sky cover chart indicates the periods of time throughout the year where Portland has the most cloud cover throughout the year. The three wind rose diagrams indicate the wind strengths and directional pat-terns for December, June and March. The data collected through these charts will be crucial to determining the de-sign of the Urban Nature River School. The use of passive systems throughout the building and climatic indicators will be critical learning tools throughout the building.

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SE DIVISION AVE.

OLD

WA

TER

AV

E.

NEW WATER AVE.

SE DIVISION PL

SE CARUTHERS ST

SE SHERMAN ST

SE GRANT ST

SE LINCOLN ST

SE HARRISON ST

SE STEPHENS ST

SE MILL ST

SE MARKET ST

SE CLAY ST

SE HAWTHORNE BLVD

SE MADISON ST

MAJOR AUTOMOTIVE ARTERIALS

HEAVY RAIL

LIGHT RAIL AND STREET CAR

T

T

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INNOVATION QUADRANT : TRANSPORTATION DIAGRAM

SE CARUTHERS ST

SE DIVISION PL

SE CLAY STPEDESTRIAN / BIKE PATH

FAST - PACED BIKE PATH

INNOVATION QUADRANT : PEDESTRIAN ACCESS DIAGRAM

LOOK-OUT POINT

MAIN ACCESS TO RIVER / GREEN STREET

INNOVATION QUADRANT : CONCEPTUAL DIAGRAM

HABITAT RESTORATION

PEDESTRIAN PLAZA

A closer look at the transportation sys-tem into the Interactive Learning District within the Innovation Quadrant. The site

is served by the light rail and street car sys-tem in orange, automobile transportation

in blue, and heavy rail in brown.

The Interactive Learning District is primar-ily served by pedestrian traffic and bike

traffic. It sits along the most highly trav-eled bike route: Eastbank Esplanade and

Springwater Trail. The district itself will be dominated by foot traffic aiding in a cohe-

sive unified district.

Conceptually, the Interactive Learning Dis-trict will be connected by a series of look-outs and river access points. River access points are the most important locations

along the Ne-Choco-Lee Trail. This empha-sizes the need for citizen protection of the Willamette River paired with the celebra-

tion of the river.

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Projects within the Interactive Learning District:

Existing - Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)Portland Opera

Additions - Portland Ecological Aquatic CenterWater Avenue Learning CommonsUrban Nature Institute (UNI)Waterfront Middle SchoolWillamette Boathouse and Recreation Center

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Pre-design Phase for the Urban Nature Institute:Site and Building Programming: September 2011 - January 2012

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MAX STATION

TriM

et B

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Dock

River Classroom

Ecology Pond

Swimming Area

Outdoor Classroom

Educational Facility

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Learning Landscape - The learning landscape will be a shared space between the community and the school. It will be sculptural in quality, a teaching tool in function, and innovative in ambition. A combination of natural landscaping and built structure, the learning landscape will be an outdoor classroom that fluidly mixes learn-ing and play.

Outdoor Playground - The outdoor playground will be sculptural in quality. When being used it will function as a playscape and an area for imagination to take precedence. When not being used it will function as sculpture.

Educational Garden / Community Garden - The educational garden will have a variety of plantings but edible and non-edible. Plantings will be specified to encourage different learning opportunities. Within the educa-tional garden there will be places to seat, contemplate, and hold classes.

Lookout Tower - The lookout tower will be an icon amongst the facility. Not only will you be able to occupy the classroom at the top of the tower and study the surrounding context from above, but also it will serve as a beacon for the surrounding area to identify the educational facility from afar.

Student Drop-off/Pick-up Area - The drop off/pick up area will feel welcoming and inviting. It will serve as a gateway between the surroundings and the educational facility. The front door of the complex which invites the community in and marks the entry into a safe learning facility.

Ecology Pond - The ecology pond will serve both educational purposes and reflective purposes. A place to study wildlife, plantlife, and the ecology of the pond. It will also be a place of reflection to allow visitors peace while visiting. An inset from the Willamette River, students will be able to interact directly with the river.

Dock with Small Boathouse - Access to the Willamette River will be available via a dock. This dock will also serve small paddle boats that will be used as part of education throughout the facility. An area dedicated to swimming will also be found near the dock. The dock will symbolize the literal connection with the river.

Trails - The site will be connected by trails. These trails will connect existing trails and will serve as wayfinding throughout the site. These trails will lead to an outdoor amphitheater.

Educational Facility - The facility itself will be surrounded by learning landscapes, educational gardens, and outdoor classrooms. The building will be inhabited by visitors of all ages and backgrounds. A warm, welcom-ing place where learning is endless. The facility will have a sense of fun and freedom embedded into it. The variety of centers: parent resource, teacher resource, community resources, and early education classrooms

will form a campus of resources. Components of the building will interact directly with the River.

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Welcome Area

GreatHall

DiningHall

Office/Admin

MeetingRoom

LearningLandscape

EcologyPond

PhysicalActivity

Space

Studios & Ateliers

Lodging

Library/Media

LookoutTower

Bridge Trail

OutdoorClassroom

OutdoorClassroom

OutdoorClassroom

OutdoorClassroom

Amphitheater

Studios & Ateliers

PublicPlaza

Portland Opera

LearningHearth

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Learning Studios - The learning studios will be the main educational component of the facility. Equipped with technological inputs and space for projects of all sizes, these studios will be home-like, naturally connected redefined classrooms.

Ateliers - The ateliers are the in-between spaces for every learning studio. These spaces will contained a restroom, art area, storage area and extra space for projects. The atelier will be meant to be a messy space.

Lodging - The lodging throughout the site will fit the needs of large classrooms of children in grades K-5 and also for adults who will stay during conferences. The flexibility of these lodging spaces is crucial to allow for multiple uses by a variety of users. The lodging will be summer camp cabin like with shared rest-rooms and bathing areas.

Offices - The office spaces throughout the facility will address the collaborative nature of administrative philosophy. They will be flexible to fit the needs of a variety of users. They will incorporate spaces for solo work and group work.

Workrooms - The workrooms will be ateliers specific for adults. These will also have a meeting room/conference room capable set up.

Physical Activity Space - The physical activity space will be gymnasium like but adapted for more life-time fitness physical activities.

Media Center/Library- The media center and library will be a shared-use space. This will articulate the technological innovation of the entire facility. This space will be a resource center for parents, teachers, and the community at large.

Dining Hall - The dining hall will be the main eating area throughout the facility. Equipped with a com-mercial catering kitchen, the space will be used for all events: day to day education lunches, conferences, weddings, and everything in between.

Great Hall - The great hall will be the main gathering area. This area will be used for study purposes, large group gathering, and will expose many of the three-dimensional textbook features of the building.

Welcome Area- The welcome area will be the transition space between the outside and inside. This space is meant to be warm and inviting. A space for parents to gather to catch up. A space for student work to be displayed. A community front porch feel.

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Space Type User Use DescriptionCommunal Spaces

Welcome Area Everyone Used to welcome visitors to the building, display projects from the building and the community, serve the commu-nity as a meeting place, and a transition into the facility.

Library Everyone Used to store resources, for user access to resources, a gathering space for learners.

Media Center Everyone Contain technological resources and digital media, places for digital media exploration.

Great Hall Everyone Congregation Space/Lounge for students and visitors - could be used for events or indoor play space

Dining Hall Everyone Dining Area for students/teachers/events.

Physical Activity Center Everyone A space for lifelong physical education.

Meeting Room Everyone Spaces for faculty meetings/conferences/public meetings

Elementary Education

Learning Studios (5-7) Children / Occasional Use by Everyone Used by elementary grade students for project-based learning. Could be used for community spaces as well.

Ateliers (In-between Spaces) Children & Instructors Used by instructors and students as messy spaces.

Laboratory Space Children / Occasional Use by Everyone Used for more technical projects within studies

Teacher Resource Center

Teacher Studios/Meeting Rooms Visiting Teachers / Occasional Use by Everyone Spaces for adult classes

Office/Administration

Offices Building Staff Community office space with innovative office tech

Workroom Building Staff An atelier for instructors and adminstration

Directors Office Building Staff / Visitors A place for the head of the organization to meet with instructors, families, community members and work.

Nurses Office Building Staff / Patients A space place for short-term patients

Storage Building Staff Storage will be need throughout the building

Lodging

Student Group Lodging (10) Children & Instructors A space for students to stay during their short visits.

Adult Double Room Lodging (25) Visiting Teachers / Occasional Use by Everyone A space for visiting adults to stay during conferences.

Subtotal

Circulation (40%)

Total

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Design Description Space Requirements Area - sf

Should be inviting and welcoming. Have informal seating for conversation. Display space for projects.

Display Space, Natural Light and Ventilation, Demon-strate how the building works

200 sf

Large congregation space along with small study spaces for groups up to 6 people.

Natural Light and Ventilation, Demonstrate how the building works, Circulation Desk, a hearth

2,000sf

A technology hub, places to sit with wireless technology, space for technology assistants, and workstations.

Storage for digital media, projection, and technological access, wireless internet

900sf

Large double height space that creates a place for con-gregation or individual peace. The heart of the facility.

Fireplace, cozy surfaces, space for large furnishings, a stage

2,000sf

An expansion communal eating room close to the kitchen Commercial kitchen, dishwashing area, loading area 4,000sfOne space or multiples space for flexible activities. Moveable walls, hard surfaces, ventilation, views out 1,000sf

A flexible space that divides into two smaller spaces Storage for tables and chairs, confidential treatments 900sf

Flexible spaces, non-traditional classroom space, areas to meet in small groups, large group, or as individuals.

Storage for continuing projects, display space, storage for students personal things, natural light and ventilation.

3,000 - 4,200 sf

An in-between space with service space. Storage, Sinks, Toilets, Supplies 1,500-2,100sfAccess to specialty equipment and large work tables. Storage, Sinks, Power 2,000 sf

Flexible space with places for small or large groups and individuals. Flexible for other types of classes/workspace.

Storage for continuing projects, display space, storage for students personal things, natural light and ventilation

1,800 sf

Office space (look to Google headquarters) Storage, breakout space, confidential phone call areas 1,000 sfLarge open space with workzones and break out spaces Supply storage, sinks, toilets, large tables 1,000 sf

Space to meet with up to 4 people Storage for files, confidential spaces, informal meetings 200 sf

Space close to administration with space for healing. Storage for supplies, space for up to 4 beds 200 sfInterior and Exterior Storage Space Storage 500 sf

Sleeping Porch/Camp Cabin type with space for 20 kids Communal shower room, storage for personal things (each 300 sf) 3,000 sfDouble rooms with personal bathroom (hotel like) Hotel-like amenities 5,000 sf

32,000 sf

12,800 sf

44,800 sf

Pre-

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Design Phase for the Urban Nature Institute:Site and Building Design - January 2012 - June 2012

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The Site Context

The Urban Nature Institute (UNI) is influenced by three important adjacencies: the Willamette River to the west, the connection to the Hosford-Abernathy neighborhood via Division Street to the east, and access to the Portland-Milwaukee Light Rail Transit

Center to the north. Throughout the building, there is clear visual access to the west toward the Willamette River with the skyline of downtown Portland as a backdrop. This is emphasized by a consistent visual connection through a glazed double-skin facade that follows the river bank collecting the southern and western sun. The main school entrance to UNI faces the east connecting the neighboring com-

munities to their childrens school. Students and families enter under a grove of native trees that become a symbol for their school. The general public entrance to the Learning Center faces the north connecting to the transit system and adjacent public learning facilities like

OMSI, the Water Avenue Learning Commons, and the Willamette Ecological Aquatic Center. A foliage-like screen wraps this face like a natural billboard welcoming the public. These three important components spatially direct users to important spaces in the facility.

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The Building Concept and Spatial Organization

Conceptually, the building is organized as a cross-section of a for-est: a forest is layered by zones inhabited by unique forest creatures

while operating as a whole. The layers start beneath the ground surface: dim, enclosed, and surrounded by heavy soil. Once above

ground, creatures inhabit the open brush of vegetated ground cover. Tree trunks grow out of the ground containing burrowed,

intimate habitats. Amongst the branches in the canopy level, spac-es are lightly surrounded by foliage until courageously perched

outside of the canopy. Culminating within the emergent level, oc-cupancy of the space high above the trees allows for observance of

the surroundings.

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The forest is divided in this way to create distinc-tive, habitable spaces for a multitude of individual

species. Although divided, the forest operates as a whole, each part dependent on the other. The

Urban Nature River School and Learning Center is organized in a similar way creating distinctive,

habitable spaces for individual students. Working within the Reggio Emilia pedagogy, the building itself becomes the guide for the students by con-taining spaces for individuals to thrive and col-

laborate.

The ground level provides space for the most pub-lic spaces within heavy, earth-like walls. The light-

filled canopy level, wrapped in a foliage-like screen provides space for more secure, private spaces

while maintaining connections to the ground level below through breaks in the ground plane. The most private emergent level breaks through the

roof plane providing a space to observe the whole.

Entry Front Porch..........1 Family Gathering Area..........2

Locker Room..........3Assembly Stair to Canopy Level..........4

Indoor Play Area..........5Interior Courtyard..........6

Gallery..........7Learning Cafe..........8

KeyKitchen............9

Loading Area..........10Staff Gathering Area..........11

The Great Hall..........12Willamette Courtyard..........13

Active Learning Classroom..........14Burrow............B

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8:00AM entry

Individual species inhabit the forest in a variety of ways to suit their individual needs: some burrow, some perch, and some soar. The learning spaces in the

Urban Nature River School and Learning Center are expressed in three distinct ways to address individual learning needs:

Burrowed learning spaces are spaces for the introvert.

Perched learning spaces are spaces for the daring.Open learning spaces are spaces for the meanderer. 8:10 transition

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8:15 playtime

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8:30 gathering

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10:00AM perch

burrow11:15AM

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12:30PM soar

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perch2:00PM

3:00PM explore

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Building Elements: Structure, Materiality, and Sustainability

The solid mass of the three-foot thick rammed earth wall of the ground level acts as the solid earth. It contains the service bar for the entire building as well as provides a distinction between the solid ground penetrated by punched openings and the lightly wrapped, transparent canopy above. This solid rammed earth wall is made from the soil on the site and is continuously insulated, therefore increasing the energy performance of the entire building.

Five towers march through the building, reminiscent of tree trunks, connecting the ground to the canopy level above. Within the towers are intimate gathering spaces burrowed into the massive, tree-like structures acting as a wayfinding system and as spatial divisions between parts of the building.

Occupiable window seats are imbedded between the layers of the double-skin faade allowing the user to perch alone or in small groups outside of the

main buildings enclosure. Some window seats take the form of small rooms that extend beyond the buildings envelope, creating small group work rooms that extend into the ultimate urban classroom. The double-skin faade wraps the south and west faces of the building acting as a solar chimney

and natural ventilation system by capturing fresh air through intake vents at the base, heating the air through stack effect, and capturing this heat to be used throughout the building by heat recovery ventilators.

Image: Building Model - View of children sitting within the solid mass wall.

Images: Building Model - View of burrow seen through both levels of floors and a view within a burrow.

Image: Building Model - View of river view, dou-ble-skin facade and a child climbing into a perch.

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Learning spaces on all levels are connected by a series of moveable wall separations, morphing to suit the needs of the learning groups by consolida-tion or expansion of the spatial volumes. The ability to completely open each space to its adjacent space allows the users to feel connected to the facility as a whole and remain aware of the beneficial influences of the community at large. The spatial divisions also allow for a more efficient HVAC system,

by maintaining HVAC zones regulated specifically for the use of the space.

The circulation corridor on the ground level, the canopy level, and emergent level follow the same series of ramps along the west face of the building, following the rivers edge. Users travel along the series of ramps and experience the level changes of the floor plates beneath the users feet, some level

changes become breaks in the ground plane providing the opportunity to peak into the space below. This circulation corridor follows between the double-skin faade and a continuous row of columns celebrating this path.

Image: Building Model - View of through circulation path on canopy level. Children are nestled within the changing

floor plates.

Image: Building Model - View of children within the canopy learning spaces, using the changing floor levels of

the canopy floor as a stage.

Images: Building Model - Students soaring within the river courtyard. A view within the screen, through a bur-

row, and towards the river.

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The circulation between the ground level and the canopy levels above start within the solid, earth-like volume of the ground level, follows a burrowing tower up along an assembly staircase into the light-filled canopy level. This diagonal movement from ground level into canopy

level is articulated on the exterior face of the building by the form of the natural foliage-like screen wrapping from the entrance of the Urban Nature Institute into the canopy above.

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Roof Run-o

Water Play Feature

Intensive Green Roof

Bioswale

Bioswale

Bioswale

StormwaterRun-o FilterationEnding in the River

Water Strategies

High Summer Solar

Low Morning Solar

Low Evening Solar

Low Winter Solar

Wind

Direc

tion

Wind Dire

ction

Win

d D

irecti

on

Wind Break

Wind Break

Wind Brea

k

Solar Shading System

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Finally, the buildings green roof is planted with small trees, not only assisting with stormwater management on the site, but also emphasizing the feel-ing of a canopy wrapped in foliage. Other stormwater management strategies are seen in the rainwater catchment system (rainwater is collected on the

rooftop, directed through a water play feature, filtered through bioswales and returned into the Willamette River filtered for wildlife safety).

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interior space(indoor play area) circulation d

oubl

e-sk

inso

lar

chim

ney

exterior space(outdoor play area)

board formconcrete with

embedded pieces

open web joist@ 8 O.C

(exposed systems)

hot water pipes

heat recovery ventilator -

captures the heat fromthe solar chimney and uses it throughout the building

structural wide-ange column

light shelves and shading on interior

face of solar chimney

solar chimney

air intake vent

wood claddingwith punched openings

ECS + Tectonic Study @ 1/4 = 1

continuous glazedexterior enclosure

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cake inspired by the terminal project - UNIfiedcreated by: Erika Malpaya, Stefanie Hanna-Riggs, and Alysia Baldwin

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Urban River Lifelong Learning CenterWillamette Central Reach, Portland, OR

Hannah Feil hannah.a.feil@gmail.com