Rockwood Boys & Girls Club
Located in outer-east Multnomah County, the Rockwood Boys & Girls Club provides a vibrant, healthy place for youth to gather, play, and learn after school and on the weekends.
Project Details
Location
Gresham, OR
Client
Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area
Year Completed
2017
Project Size
30,000 sq. ft.
Sustainability
The Club’s sustainable features include a courtyard, skylights, and clerestory windows that bring light to the interior spaces, an ultra-efficient building envelope, regionally sourced building materials, VOC-free interior finishes, right-sized mechanical systems, native landscaping, and preservation of existing old growth trees on the site.
Land Recognition
We have a responsibility to not only acknowledge but also elevate Native communities and their needs. This project is located in what is now known as Gresham, which rests on the traditional lands of the Cascades Watlala and Clackamas people. Tribes in this area fished salmon along the Columbia River, hunted, and gathered seasonal foods. Their plank houses once stood next to the waterways within this area. In 1851, the Clackamas Treaty was negotiated, giving tribes fishing rights, but without a reservation. Many descendants of these tribes are now members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde.
Educating ourselves is an important action. We encourage you to explore the stories of these communities through Native-led resources like David G. Lewis, PhD’s The Quartux Journal and Leading with Tradition.
Awards
- 2018 Gray Magazine Doing Good Award
- 2018 Contract Magazine Inspirations Award
- 2018 AIA Portland Citation Award
Facilitating Youth Empowerment
The new Rockwood Boys & Girls Club provides services to children and families in outer-east Multnomah County, representing Gresham’s dedication to revitalizing the area. The building features a gym, a kids’ cafe, a learning center, a dedicated junior and teen center, a youth and family services space, and an art studio.
Prioritizing Safety
Ensuring the safety of visitors was of the utmost priority. The Club features a secure entry, protected ground-floor areas, and safe outdoor spaces. The design balances attractive, “grown-up” design choices with visual transparency and clear sightlines.
Bright & Airy Design
Large clerestory windows and skylights bring in ample natural lighting. The gym and classrooms on the ground floor feature fritted glass with supergraphics designed to allow views out but not in. A ribbon of yellow-painted walls and ceilings leads members through the building and connects the central spaces, signaling to members of all ages that they are a part of a unified community.
Spaces that Foster Community
The Club aims to attract and inspire youth and facilitate community building.
This building, with the support of so many that have stepped up to invest in this club, will open up a whole new world of opportunity for youth in Rockwood.— Erin Hubert, former Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club | Portland
