French American International School Welcomes Students to the 2019-2020 School Year with New $12.6M Middle School Building

USA - English

• USA - English

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 31, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The French American International School (FAIS) launches their 2019-2020 school year by opening their doors to their new middle school. Coming on the heels of the announcement naming Scott Hardister as its new Head of School following the retirement of Pam Dreisin, FAIS plans to welcome students with an official Ribbon Cutting on their first day of school.

The ribbon cutting will take place on Wednesday, September 4, at 8:30am. Both teachers and students will attend a small ceremony before walking to their first class together. The boomerang shaped building nestles into its steeply sloped site directly adjacent to a habitat rich forest and features approximately 26,000 square feet, including water efficient landscaping, daylight and views, renewable energy elements that contribute to a small carbon footprint, and natural playscape.

"We set out to create this middle school habitat by designing spaces of a wide variety of scales that support formal teacher-student learning, informal student-student learning, and introspection," says Sarah Post-Holmberg, lead architect, Hacker Architects. "The design took inspiration from the idea of a nurse log, a fallen tree full of fertile nooks that invite young ferns, trillium flowers and huckleberry bushes to take root in its richness. In this same way, the building caters to the myriad of academic, social and emotional needs of middle school students to promote all aspects of their growth."

The single-loaded plan of each wing alternates in orientation, with flexible spaces engaging the campus to the north and reveling in the quiet woods to the west. The classroom wings are brought together by a central two-story social hub, which invites students, teachers and faculty to gather for lunch, special events and to cross paths in between classes. In addition to the 14 classrooms, 2 science rooms, collaboration spaces, lunch hub, and offices to serve the middle school, this project improves connectivity for the whole campus by creating a "pedestrian street," an amphitheater, outdoor dining facilities, and a new trailhead patio leading to the existing trails. The team designed the layout of all of these spaces to optimize natural daylight, natural ventilation, and visual and physical connections to the adjacent forest.

"We identified wood as the primary material for the building's structure and interior finishes," explains Post-Holmberg. "This priority on embodied carbon combined with thoughtful window placement, gives the student the feeling of being in the forest whether they are inside or outside."

The site's design further enhances this experience by using only native plant species and locating them to look as though the building has invited the forest to grow up and through it. An exposed steel runnel carries roof rainwater to a stormwater pond, which students can view along the adjacent forest trail. An outdoor amphitheater frames the best view of the forest while providing a sunny place to eat lunch, teach a class, or participate in an all-school event. And, a gracious front porch flanked by steel planters full of sword ferns and manzanita makes a dynamic place to hang out with friends.

The Gilkey International Middle School is a participant in the Energy Trust of Oregon's Path to Net Zero program and is solar ready, aligning with the campus's long range goals to be both energy independent and net-zero. The building also features natural ventilation and high air quality standards using the latest in technology, as well as recycling stations and spaces for bikes and other alternative transportation, encouraging the next generation to form a strong connection to nature.

"The numerous social spaces creates an environment of inclusion for our students, while also taking into account the diverse learning environment that we serve here in Portland," says Scott Hardister, Head of School. "The space also takes into consideration teachers and their work space needs, as well as addressing an enhanced lunch room environment and locker space. Essentially no detail was not covered, making this new building a true symbol of our dedication to both our staff and our students."

The middle school building was nearly 6 years in the making and cost $12.6 million. Both the architectural team and school board spent time to ensure the building is solar-ready, which could provide power for electric heating, is equipped with a passive cooling system through out the building, and worked to ensure the exterior wall insulation and wood structure's sequestration of carbon allow the building to meet the 2030 challenge of 70% reduction in energy consumption.

About French American International School

The French American International School (FAIS) is a preschool through eighth-grade independent school in Portland, Oregon, serving 525 students. FAIS holds unique triple accreditations from the French Ministry of National Education, International Baccalaureate Organization and the Northwest Association of Independent Schools. Founded in 1979, FAIS is the longest-established language immersion school in Portland. Preschool through fifth-grade is taught in a French immersion setting, while their Gilkey International Middle School offers multiple immersion tracks (French, German, Mandarin, and Spanish), as well as an English-focused track with beginning language. The school cultivates intellect and character through rigorous multilingual academic programs in an environment that promotes appreciation of diverse cultures and experiences.

SOURCE French American International School