Cascades Academy, Central Oregon, USA educational architecture photos, American design images
Cascades Academy in Oregon
December 15, 2024
Architecture: Hennebery Eddy Architects
Location: Bend, Central Oregon, USA
Photos by Josh Partee
Cascades Academy, USA
Hennebery Eddy collaborated with Cascades Academy of Central Oregon to create a new K-12 campus that seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor learning environments. Spanning 52,000 square feet and completed in two phases, the three-building campus was designed to inspire learning through its thoughtful connection to the surrounding natural landscape. The project began with programming, master planning, fundraising, and design, ensuring a cohesive and functional environment that prioritizes experiential learning.
The site’s dramatic rock-lined canyon serves as a central feature, treated with reverence by positioning the school away from its edge to avoid dominating its presence. This respect for the natural environment guided the architectural approach, emphasizing energy reduction strategies specific to the site. A horizontal geo-exchange heat pump system meets 50% of the campus’s heating and all cooling needs, while roof orientations were optimized for future photovoltaic panels.
The campus design focuses on natural light and simple, rational building forms that harmonize with the high desert landscape. Differentiated wings within the primary building create a fluid connection between interior spaces and the outdoors. For example, the library seamlessly connects to the main corridor and commons, which in turn extend to the canyon. Similarly, the separate gymnasium features a floor level that appears to merge with the forest floor, reinforcing the bond between structure and site.
Interior finishes reflect the natural environment, incorporating large wood roof overhangs that transition into interior ceilings. Cedar wall panels, fir doors, and polished concrete floors echo the warmth and texture of the desert terrain. Bold accent colors, inspired by the surrounding vegetation, are integrated into fabrics and wayfinding elements. This thoughtful material palette creates a cohesive aesthetic that complements the campus’s natural surroundings.
Classrooms are designed with flexibility in mind, allowing various configurations to support interactive teaching methods using SMARTboards and other technology. To further enhance learning opportunities, a 12,000-square-foot expansion was added to the primary educational building. This addition includes administrative offices, a flexible conference seminar room, and an “IDEA Lab” for innovation, design, engineering, and art. Four upper school classrooms and a commons area provide additional spaces for learning and social interaction.
Outdoors, the campus incorporates a nature play area for lower school students, designed by landscape architect Mayer/Reed. This space features custom-designed playscapes that encourage interaction with the site’s 21-acre wooded terrain. The play area includes elements like embankment slides, climbing structures, digging zones, and agility-based equipment such as a slackline course and swings. Logs, stumps, and other natural materials are integrated to foster physical activity and connection with the environment.
Connected by a breezeway to the gymnasium and other facilities, the new addition maintains the campus’s cohesive flow. The overall design reflects Cascades Academy’s commitment to experiential learning, sustainability, and the harmonious integration of indoor and outdoor spaces, providing a unique and inspiring educational environment.
Cascades Academy in Oregon, USA – Building Information
Architecture: Hennebery Eddy Architects – https://www.henneberyeddy.com/
Contractor: CS Construction
Landscape: Mayer/Reed
Civil Engineer: D’Agostino Parker, LLC
Structural Engineer: Walker Structural Engineering
Mechanical Engineer: Interface Engineering, Inc.
Electrical Engineer: Interface Engineering, Inc.
Acoustical Engineer: Altermatt Associates, Inc.
Sustainability Consultant: Biohabitats
Traffic Engineer: Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
Hennebery Eddy Design Team:
Tim Eddy – Principal-in-Charge
Dan Petrescu – Project Manager
Laura Craig-Bennett – Project Architect
Camilla Cok – Project Architect
Bianca Baccarini – Project Team (Phase 2)
Marci Krauss – Interior Designer (Phase 2)
Photography: Josh Partee
Cascades Academy, Central Oregon, USA information / images received 151224
Location: Bend, Oregon, United States of America
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