4 - SANDY (Or*.) POST Thurs., Apr. 12, 1978 (Sec 1)
le Kelso
Keiso school
scnooi architects:
o re m w w » .
To the
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■
A learning place should be a special place
by Douglas Gantenbein
staff w riter
In his book “Civilisation,’’ Sir Ken
neth Clark wrote of architecture: “One
could tell more about a civilisation
from its architecture than from
anything else it leaves behind Painting
and literature depend largely on un
predictable individuals. But a r
chitecture . . depends
upon
a
relationship between the user and the
maker much closer than in the other
arts.”
Clark is right While we may admire
a beautiful painting or enjoy a good
book, we don’t have to live with them
We can always walk away.
But a building is different. While it
may be esthetically appealing, if it
doesn’t serve the purposes of the
dweller it fails. The world’s handsomest
building would be decried as a disaster
if, for example, not enough restrooms
were provided.
And among buildings, schools are
special cases. They must serve a
historically
fussy
group
of
people—kids—yet fall within the budget
param eters of an even fussier
group—taxpayers.
No small task But Sandy Elementary
District taxpayers nonetheless voted
last winter to forge ahead with the
design and construction of a school
building to be put up in the Kelso area
near the site of several earlier school
buildings.
The architect they chose was the
Portland firm of Broome, Oringdulph,
O’Toole, Rudolf and Associates—a
company that is well respected by its
fellow architects as it is a big mouthful.
But a site and a budget aren’t enough
for a school architect to go on. To get
input from the people who will be using
the building, project manager Heinz
Rudolf gathered a group representing
teachers, adm inistration, board
members and even maintenance, sat
them in a room, and locked them all
inside for the day,” to find out what
they were looking for in the new
building
“We try to include the user groups as
much as possible, not just the people on
the board,” explained Rudolf of the
brainstorming session “ It’s really the
people’s building."
From that session were drawn
general directions for the project,
qualitative and quantitative statements
reflecting what will be looked for in the
new building.
Designer Stanly Boles said the
approach to designing a school follows
four lines—function, form, economy
and time.
Under the time category, for in
stance, it was agreed on that the
building would reflect the historic past
of its site, would operate during the
present on a nine-month, 14-hour day
basis, and for the future, be capable of
taking a doubling in enrollment without
losing its functional performance.
Everyone's opinion is sought during
the session. “We let all the people
wrestle with it right then rather than
finding out something six weeks down
the pike,” Boles said.
Or, as Rudolf said, "We get all the
cards on the table.
In preparation for the all-day think
binge, the participants had earlier
made tours of potentially similar
schools with Rudolf, talking about
architecture, the group’s likes and
dislikes and such things as different
building materials.
Thurs.-Fri.-Sat.
CONSTRUCTIVE DISCUSSION: Architects Tom Pene (left), Heinz
Rudolph (center) and Stanly Boles discuss changes of their plan for Sandy
That way, when one of the architects
says “formed concrete" everyone
knows exactly what he is talking about
because simply saying “concrete" is
like saying “apples"—one man’s
Jonathan is another man’s Golden
Delicious.
After the planning session, a
document is written up of general
guidelines regarding the building s
size, function and appearance.
Comments in the planning document
range from the esthetic (“Take ad
vantage of the site’s unique
amenities” ) to the specific (“Each
classroom needs 1000 square feet” ).
The program then becomes “the
baton that is passed on to the design
team ,” where the initial plans are
drawn up.
While buildings such as offices serve
primarily to fill a functional need,
Rudolf said that the design of a school
needs to be more than just a box.
"Education can be done in any
space,” he said. “ But by designing a
good building that is in harmony with
the space and the environment we can
make learning so much ». 'tier for the
teachers and the students.
Elem entary’s new Kelso School.
A factor that has had a dramatic
impact on architectural concepts is the
need for energy efficiency.
“Years ago, it was almost ‘the more
energy you used, the better,’ ” said
Rudolf. “Now it’s the exact opposite.”
Now, even the placement of the
buildings on the site is done with an eye
towards exposure to sun or wind. Large
volumes, such as gymnasiums, are
placed between the sun and the smaller
classrooms to shade the rooms.
The use of light has been re-thought
also, with more emphasis on the
“quality” of light rather than just the
quantity.
Rudolf said that to help hold down the
costs of heating and cooling a school
building his designers employ what is
called a “variable volume" system
In it, large fans are hooked to ther
mostats throughout the building. If one
room gets too cool or too warm, air can
be pumped in our out of it to change the
temperature. The system makes much
greater use of warmth from people and
room lights than more traditional
methods of simply turning the heat up
But above all the considerations of
space, energy and the like. Rudolf said
BUXTON'S
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Sandy
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there is one factor that holds sway over
all others. Cost is “the overriding
factor.”
Once the sketches are approved and
bids are left, the architect doesn’t just
fade into the background. Rudolf said
that at his firm weekly checks are
made with the contractor to insure that
all the work is being carried out to the
specifications set forth in the incredibly
detailed blueprints
Rudolf said that the days of the
“renaissance” architect, the ar
chitectural equivalent of a utility in
fielder, have gone by. Now the work is
done by a team of specialists—each
with his own special task
As project manager, Rudolf becomes
the conductor of this architectural
symphony, coordinating all the dif
ferent sections so they make the same
kind of music.
“We are here for one purpose,” he
explains. “To create a building, to do
the best, to stay within the budget and
to design the building exactly as it is
intended.”
When you’ve got to live with
something for as long as pre formed
concrete lasts, not much else will do.
Means killed in car wreck
A 75-year-old Sandy man
was killed only a few blocks
from his home in a single-car
accident on Friday evening.
Elmer William Means was
pronounced dead on arrival
at Gresham Community
Hospital after he was thrown
from the car his wife, Esther
Elizabeth Means, was
driving Clackamas County
Sheriff’s deputies reports
said the vehicle went out of
control off Kleinsmith Road
in the Sandy area.
Means was thrown out the
passenger door which opened
as the car struck a utility
pole, swung around and
came to rest against the
pole’s guy wire.
Alpine Ambulance and the
Sandy Fire Department also
answered the call.
Safety class slated
NAVEL ORANGES
A motorcycle rider safety
course will be held April 22,
23.29and 30from 9:30a m. to
4:30 p m . at Clackamas
Community College
The course lasts from 22 to
24 hours and includes
classroom and on-cycle skill
riding The course is open to
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658 3485.
Motorcycles will be loaned
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Gresham Kawasaki
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