Roosevelt Middle School
ROOSEVELT MIDDLE SCHOOL
Situated on an undeveloped portion of the existing school site, the new school is located between the adjacent wetlands and the new Eugene YMCA. The building reflects and preserves the legacy of Roosevelt, maintains a sense of community, and supports a culture of openness, respect, and excellence. To achieve these goals, the design focused on natural day lighting, safe open spaces for informal interaction, sustainable design practices including rainwater harvesting, and state of the art mechanical and lighting systems. The building reflects the most current thinking around effective learning environments for teenage students. The design team worked with stakeholders to understand these cultural influences and develop a design that ensures their continuation. A transparent, centrally located “Maker’s Lab” highlights students’ craft and creativity. From their social networking practice of “looping” the hallways, to Roosevelt’s emphasis on hands-on learning, the design for this new middle school responds deeply to the educational goals of the community. RSA collaborated with Mahlum architects for the design of this project.