As the first building on a new 15-acre campus, creating a sense of place and arrival was critical. The south-facing roof reaches beyond the shell to create a large, sheltered entry plaza—the front door to the campus. The building features a dynamic open commons space that encourages students to hang out before and after class—a goal of PCC’s administration. The space was designed for collaboration and informal learning and can be transformed with movable glass walls for events.

The building is organized around a central circulation spine defined by five ventilation stacks. Classrooms, an administrative suite, and service core flank the north side, while multipurpose rooms to the south create a dynamic open commons area for student, teacher, and community interaction. The administration suite includes a shared open office, a private office, and a conference room as well as space for testing, advising, and support.

Frosted glass partitions share light between spaces and provide additional marker board surfaces that, along with flexible furnishings, foster creative use of the building. A streamlined materials palette uses structural elements as the final finish—exposed concrete slab and shear walls, and structural steel. Finely-tuned skylight and ceiling configurations provide even, balanced natural light that allows the building to operate without any electrical lighting during the day.

The LEED Platinum Newberg Center is designed to achieve net-zero energy use, using no more energy than can be produced on site. The design showcases cost-effective, bioclimatic sustainable strategies focused on: (1) creating a highly efficient envelope; (2) maximizing passive strategies; (3) utilizing efficient systems; and (4) engaging the user. Through these gestures, we eliminated all mechanical cooling, except for the server closet, and nearly all ductwork. A 100kW photovoltaic array supplies the remaining energy needs of the building.

PCC Newberg is naturally ventilated with fresh air at the floor level which is exhausted through a series of ventilation stacks that function similar to the vented cupolas of many barns in the surrounding countryside. Balanced natural light allows the building to operate without any electrical lighting during daylight hours.

Large areas of glazing, around the building and between the classrooms and commons, create transparency for community members to experience the educational environment, generating an excitement about learning and the sense that “I want to be in there, doing that, with them”.

Hennebery Eddy design team
Timothy Eddy – Principal-in-Charge
Doug Reimer – Project Manager
Erica Dunn – Project Architect

Architecture / Interiors: Hennebery Eddy
Contractor: R&H Construction Company
Civil Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers, Inc.
Structural Engineer: DCI Engineers, Inc., KPFF Consulting Engineers, Inc
Mechanical Engineer: Interface Engineering, Inc.
Electrical Engineer: Interface Engineering, Inc.
Landscape: Mayer/Reed
Acoustical Engineer: Altermatt Associates, Inc.
Sustainability Consultant: RWDI
Traffic Engineer: Kittelson & Associates, Inc.
Waterproofing Consultant: Richard Graves Waterproofing Consultant, LLC
Cost Estimating Engineer: ACC Cost Consultants, LLC
Client: Portland Community College

Photography:
Stephen Miller
Nic Lehoux