Does the pandemic have any sort of silver lining for schools? Exhausted parents and screen-addled, lonesome kids would say nary a one. But for architects, engineers, and construction crews, the virtual learning pivot provides a chance to go full steam ahead on in-progress projects (without having to maneuver around those pesky students) or to see their recent work reimagined for the post-COVID-19 era. Here are six inspiring local schools that anticipated the pandemic in spookily prescient, design-forward ways, from high-tech ventilation systems to “flex spaces” for students to work while social distancing to sweeping outdoor classrooms.
Grant High School, Portland / Mahlum Architects / Completion: August 2019 / Cost: $158 million
How can smart design begin to remedy decades of classism and racism at one of Portland’s most storied high schools? Before Mahlum…
