The decision to replace their current high school ensured that Sherwood would remain a single-high school community.
Located on a sloped site with views of the Cascade Mountain Range and Mt. Hood, the new Sherwood High School will work with the existing grade and place program elements at multiple levels, ultimately creating adjacencies, connections, and synergies between components.
Inspired by the nature of the site, the design team organized the building around a conceptual “cascades of spaces” to provide a series of centrally located interior and exterior spaces that support student gathering and social interaction.
These complementary spaces are linked in sequence, stepping down from the third story commons, to a second story lobby, and finally out into a stepped exterior courtyard.
In order to maximize available social spaces, the design team integrated stairs and amphitheater seating at each level change, strengthening the sense of community throughout the building.
From the building to the landscape, the design team strove to enrich the high school with mean. “Points of attraction,” along with the Commons, Media Center, and multi-story student atrium with views to Mt. Hood are slated to become metaphorical intersections where all Sherwood High School Students – regardless of the particular paths of their educational journey – come together. Similarly, the ambitious outdoor courtyard will utilize an analogy of layers to promote an appreciation for regional geology and landmarks as a way to connect students to the world.
