91ÊÓƵ

Helping design a 121-story skyscraper was a daunting task for Marinn Longenecker.

“It was a very big lesson in perspective, in how big a skyscraper is,” the recent Clackamas High School graduate said.

Longenecker served as the lead architect of a team of North Clackamas Schools district students who last month placed second (among 25 teams) in a in Chicago.

The high school seniors were part of an advanced computer-aided design class offered at the district’s Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center in Milwaukie. For the sixth annual International Mock Firms Competition held by Chicago Architecture Today, the students created a model of a skyscraper and sought advice from professionals at ZGF Architects, GBD Architects and KPFF Consulting Engineers.

Nancy Merchant, a CAD instructor at the Sabin-Schellenberg center, knew from attendance last year how strong the competition would be. She advised this year’s 11 student participants to ramp up their efforts.

“I said, ‘You’re really going to have to work hard to compete in this.’ ”

So, students contacted design professionals and members of the American Institute of Architecture Students‘ Portland State University chapter.

“That, to me, was the real value to it,” Merchant said. “I want to get the kids out there and see how people really do it … They knew their stuff because of all the mentoring.”

Working closely with Portland-area design professionals was one of the most rewarding parts of the process for Longenecker, who plans to study engineering at Clackamas Community College.

“We ran into several problems as we were going through the design process,” she said. “That was a very good experience to hear what they thought of our designs and give us tips.”

The students raised $8,000 in donations to pay for a four-day trip to Chicago. They participated in the competition, but also studied Chicago architecture and wrote reports about the city’s most famous high-rise buildings.

Two teams of five students each created mock “firms” for the competition. Each student was assigned a different position in the firm, and then they created business cards, a website and other marketing materials. Another student built models of the two teams’ designs.

The students were tasked with creating a mixed-use skyscraper in Dallas, Texas, with space for retail, offices, apartments and sports facilities. The design also had to have sustainable features and elements that support a healthy lifestyle.

ZGF staffers helped the students refine their talking points for a 10-minute presentation to sell their concept to the judges. The students also took advantage of the firm’s laser cutter to create 4-foot-high models of their skyscrapers.

“If you’re in a competition, not only do you have to do the required model, but you have to tell a good story,” ZGF senior designer David Staczek said. “It’s a really important thing that you have to craft. Getting (the students) to think about the big idea was one of the things we talked a lot about.”

The team that placed second called itself “Architects of Rebellious Innovation,” or ARI. features a building broken into two towers connected by a sky bridge and a distinctive fin-shaped element.

Longenecker said she learned a lot through the design process, especially about fitting in all the required elements.

“Doing elevators in the building – that was also a very challenging thing,” she said. “You have to accommodate for how much space they take and then the space you have to have for all the mechanical pieces for the building. That was eye-opening.”

GBD principal Craig Davis volunteered to review the students’ designs. He said ARI’s concept stood out.

“Their model was pretty impressive,” he said. “These are huge buildings, and they had a nice scheme that had a good look. In the long run, I did nothing except nudge them in the right direction. They worked super hard. Having them come out in second place in the nation, that’s pretty amazing.”

The competition proved to be an ideal opportunity to expose the high school students to what it’s like to work as an architect, Staczek said.

“I think this is a really great springboard for them to think about the construction industry and architecture,” he said.

Brett Sonflieth, a recent Rex Putnam High School graduate, built the models for the competition. The experience helped solidify his decision to study construction engineering management at Oregon State University beginning this fall.

Sonflieth learned firsthand how much dedication it takes to design a building.

“I had to quit baseball, but it was totally worth it,” he said. “What it takes to complete a project like this is not just the time you schedule, but more.”