The Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) is a state agency responsible for holding youth convicted of a crime in custody while providing them with treatment, education, job training, and other opportunities for rehabilitation. To establish a new, essential resource in OYA’s valuable network of opportunities, Deb France led the OHPD team in designing New Bridge High School as a “bridge to a new future” for the youth at OYA's facility in Grants Pass. Given this unique opportunity for youth education, the principles and vision of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is integrated into each facet of the school’s design and programming.
The school’s design and guiding vision utilizes a Positive Human Development model, fostering positive environments and relationships that help youth develop their natural talents while setting high expectations for themselves and their peers.
New Bridge High School’s unique educational and vocational needs are an excellent example of our team’s ability to provide planning and architectural expertise that is tailored to the client’s specific needs. The breadth of positive outcomes from the New Bridge High School project include:
A CPTED-led 83% annual reduction in behavioral incidents after the first year,
Benefits to resilient design through the use of durable materials such as concrete floors, allowing longer before repair or maintenance is required,
Increased access to vocational training with opportunities via the CTE space and community business owner involvement, and
The building doubles as sustainability curriculum, designed to showcase environmental design solutions.