The new Cascadia Elementary School and Robert Eagle Staff Middle School provide modern facilities serving a combined 1,600 students co-located on a 16.88-acre site.
A critical aspect of the design was the preservation of artist Andrew Morrison’s landmarked murals, initially slated for demolition. The huge murals depict portraits of Indigenous leaders including Chief Seattle and Sitting Bull, and were so beloved by the community that all eight were meticulously preserved and reinstalled at the two new buildings. (Click here to read more about saving the murals.)
Robert Eagle Staff Middle School sits to the west of Cascadia Elementary School. Each school features compact zones of shared programs organized around a central spine. Classroom wings connected to the spine are suffused with daylight, and outdoor learning is encouraged through occasional courtyards and decks. A series of double height spaces in each school creates vertical connectivity, while the central courtyard acts as a both a play area and social space.