Hood River Middle School Music and Science Building: Hood River, OR

A Building that Teaches

Before construction of the Hood River Middle School Music and Science Building, music students practiced in an old bus barn outbuilding and science students conducted experiments in a lab with outdated equipment. The new net zero energy building includes a greenhouse where students grow and harvest crops, learning about biological systems first hand. Musicians now perform in a space designed for acoustics. Students are surrounded by reminders of the building's sustainable design, from the overhead scissor trusses that were salvaged from the old bus barn to a window cutaway that reveals the building envelope components. All nonpotable water needs, including toilet flushing and irrigation, are met with collected rainwater and water diverted from an on-site stream. The project, designed as a community resource, includes interior spaces and an amphitheater that can be used for public gatherings.