(Photo courtesy of The Architecture Foundation of Oregon)

The Architecture Foundation of Oregon will feature its annual Architects in Schools Exhibit on First Friday, June 1 at the Franklin Crossing Atrium in downtown Bend.  Bend and Redmond area elementary school students will showcase projects developed over the past few months during time spent with architects and engineers learning about design. This school year, twelve elementary school classes from Bend and Redmond participated in the Architects in Schools program. Participating design professionals represent Ascent Architecture & Interiors, BBT Architects, BLRB Architects, DKA Architecture & Design, Neal Huston & Associates Architects and Steele Associates Architects.

The Architects in Schools program serves third through fifth grades and is administered by the Architecture Foundation of Oregon. In addition to Central Oregon, Architects in Schools takes place in the tri-county Portland area, Salem, Eugene, and Southern 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.

Final projects from the students’ six-week program will be on display in Bend at the Franklin Crossing Atrium, 550 NW Franklin. There will be a First Friday reception on June 1 from 5:30-8:30pm. The work will be on exhibit through the weekend until Sunday, June 3.

For more information about the Architects in Schools program please contact the Architecture Foundation of Oregon at 503-542-3823 or Kim Ruthardt Knowles at 503-317-7537.”