The Architecture Foundation of Oregon and The Old Mill District will feature the sixth annual Central Oregon Architects in Schools Exhibit on First Friday, May 3 from 5-8pm. Central Oregon elementary school students will showcase projects developed over the past few months during time spent with local architects learning about architecture.

This school year, 13 classes and 12 volunteer architects from Central Oregon participated in the Architects in Schools program. Schools participating are Amity Creek Magnet School, Buckingham Elementary, Elk Meadow Elementary, Ensworth Elementary, Miller Elementary and Ponderosa Elementary from Bend, and LaPine Elementary from LaPine. Participating architects represent Ambient Architecture, BBT Architects, BLRB Architects, Neal Huston and Associates, Olin Architecture, PECI and Pinnacle Architecture.

The Architects in Schools program serves third through fifth grades and is administered by the Architecture Foundation of Oregon. The program is designed to develop an awareness of architectural elements and construction methods through classroom sessions, projects and field trips that enhance learning in language arts, social studies, math, science and other subjects. The content is guided by an architectural curriculum specially prepared to create understanding and appreciation of the built environment in which the students live, learn and play.

Participating students reported that “… you can’t build a building without drawing and (that) some buildings look really hard to draw, but I can do it.” And, “You can’t just build, you have to draw first. You have to think about who the building is for.” Students also learn important communication skills. One student said “We learned that it is not easy to be an architect, client or a contractor because you have to work with the information that the client gave to the architect who gave it to the contractor.”

Final projects from the students’ six-week program will be on display at The Old Mill, 680 SW Powerhouse Dr. #1003, at a reception on First Friday, May 3 from 5:00-8:00pm.

For more information about the Architects in Schools program please contact the Architecture Foundation of Oregon at 503-542-3825 or Kim Ruthardt Knowles at 503-317-7537.

{jcomments on}