Lakeridge Middle School
Lake Oswego, OR
- Award Year
- 2024
- Award Category
- Wood in Architecture
- Architect
- Mahlum Architects
- Structural Engineer
- KPFF
- General Contractor
- Skanska
- Owner
- Lake Oswego School District
- Photos
- Arthur Ross, AR Creative LLC and Josh Partee
A better building for better learning
Believing that a better learning environment leads to better learning, Mahlum Architects created this school for the unique social and learning needs of middle school students.
Thoughtful use of wood-based structural elements can be found throughout this beautiful building, which also serves as a community emergency shelter since the structural system was upgraded to meet stringent Seismic Category IV requirements. Whole-tree columns, fabricated from hardwood trees harvested from the building site, support the structure inside and out, giving students the opportunity to literally connect with nature when they enter the building.
The other wood elements, which include glue-laminated timber (glulam) beams, dowel-laminated timber (DLT) panels, and other engineered wood products, were also left exposed to help reduce student stress and increase well-being. DLT panels used for the ceiling in the cafeteria/commons area even help mitigate noise.
Wood also plays an important role in creating a high performance envelope that helped reduce the target energy use intensity (EUI) by 70 percent compared to a baseline middle school. Energy savings total about $400,000 annually, which helps keep more of the District’s budget focused on education.
Lakeridge Middle School is registered with the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Path to Net Zero program; its design also meets Architecture 2030 energy targets. But creating an effective learning environment was always the project’s primary goal. The project team made thoughtful design and material choices not typically found in K-12 educational buildings, allowing Lakeridge Middle School to serve as a lesson in the effective use of wood in modern school design.
141,000 sf / Type V-B construction
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