Frog Pond Primary School Wilsonville, OR

A primary school focused on inclusive special education practices, access to outdoor learning, and student health and wellness.

The Arcadis education team in Portland and West Linn-Wilsonville School District have collaborated on many projects, and the school district has historically
been receptive to creative ideas and innovation. When they announced a design competition for one of their last bond projects, a new build PreK-5 primary school located in Wilsonville, Arcadis was excited to engage with the district to create an innovative design for an inclusive, accessible school that would resonate with the community’s aspirations and values.

From the beginning, the district and community were clear that their school should provide students with a learning environment that was equitable and inclusive—a school for all students. Arcadis’ competition-winning design for Frog Pond promoted exploration and discovery, so important to developing the wonder that sparks lifelong learning.

The final design for Frog Pond integrates ideas the district had been considering for some time, especially universal accessibility. Arcadis helped them ask, “What does an accessible school look like from students’ perspectives?”

Robust, vibrant community and stakeholder engagement sessions led to a school design that was all on one level, with accessible bathrooms for all and classroom “porches” that provide easy access to nature. These porches are part of greater learning neighborhoods, which came about because of close collaboration between Arcadis and the district. Each neighborhood is intended to promote familiarity and safety for students and teachers.

The neighborhoods’ pitched roofline design echoes the aesthetic of the surrounding environment. The visual of the roofline combined with the natural materials that were chosen result in a welcoming feeling as the school blends cohesively into the residential community.

The final design was completed during a period of flux for students—pre-, during, and post-COVID. The core of the school—where offices, the library, and gymnasium are located—accommodates the enrollment anticipated by the district (550). Because the learning neighborhoods are fully scalable, only two of four have been built to date to accommodate the current number of students (350). The remaining two neighborhoods can be seamlessly built on to the existing structure as enrollment numbers rise and will continue the inclusive education practices established with the first phase of building.

From the welcoming interior spaces to the playgrounds, pond, and meandering nature path outside, Frog Pond Primary School offers an exciting addition to the schools in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District and has quickly become a leading example of how to approach universal design.