A $408 million bond for Hillsboro School District, approved by voters in November 2017, is fueling construction of two new elementary schools, one replacement elementary school, and renovations/expansions of two high schools.

One of the latter is for Glencoe High School, which opened in 1980. BLRB Architects designed a project – estimated to cost $31.3 million – that will add more than 30,500 square feet of space to the campus so that enrollment can grow as expected. Pence Construction is serving as general contractor.

“The existing campus is from the early ’80s, and this is one of four additions being added here,” Pence Construction project manager Adam Rondeau said as he pointed to one new building. “We’re calling this Building 2; it’s a cafeteria and an eating hall. There’s no kitchen facilities per se, but it will add space.”

The cafeteria even features a structural steel beam signed by students and staff. It was erected during a September ceremony attended by the entire school.

“We’re filling in the gap between the cafeteria and the existing building with this added eating hall,” Rondeau said. “The capacity is about 400 and that matches the capacity we’re adding to the school with the additional classrooms, which is about a dozen additional classrooms in all.”

A 23,000-square-foot wing being added to the front of the school will hold a new media center, health science classrooms and a lab, counseling staff offices and conference rooms. Also, the main entrance has been redesigned: Access into the building will now come via a new, locked vestibule.

In an earlier phase, existing career and technical education classrooms were redesigned and improved. At the same time, the south parking lot reserved for staff and visitors was rebuilt with a new circulation pattern and a new shelter for students waiting to board buses. These improvements were completed over the summer. A similar upgrade is planned for the north student parking lot next summer.

Any remaining tenant improvements and interior work also is expected to wrap up during summer 2020.

“All four of the building additions are under way now,” Rondeau said. “We have a new entry/media building, and if you come in through the south parking lot you probably saw the big new building with the DensGlass. That’s going to be the biggest of the four additions.”

Finally, the school’s athletic teams will get a new weight training facility and a new team room. Both will be additions to an existing building.

“It’s going to more than double the space they have for their team training,” Rondeau said. “And then we have a team room, which is effectively another locker room being added.”

A similar renovation and expansion project – estimated to cost $27.2 million – is taking place at Hillsboro High School. There, crews began work in March and expect to finish by August 2020.

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Tacoma, Washington-based BLRB Architects has expanded its reach into Central Oregon by acquiring Ascent Architecture and Interiors of Bend.

BLRB, founded in 1953, also has offices in Portland and Spokane, Washington. Ascent’s former owner, Seth Anderson, will now serve as leading principal in BLRB’s Bend office.

Ascent, which last year was named Architecture Firm of the Year by the Central Oregon Builders Association, has worked on a variety of commercial, housing and hospitality projects, including homeless shelters and breweries. BLRB on the other hand has focused mostly on public projects like educational and civic facilities.

“Both firms were looking for a way to grow and strengthen,” Anderson said. “We were also both looking to diversify.”

Anderson first met BLRB Managing Principal Greg McCracken about 15 years ago. They both worked at a small firm when Anderson was fresh out of college.

About a year ago they bumped into each other at Redmond Municipal Airport, and began discussing their respective firms. They found they were much alike, and BLRB happened to be looking for a new leader in its Bend office.

“We really did have similar cultures and values,” McCracken said. “We’re very collaborative in nature, and we’re authentic listeners.”

The airport conversation inspired Anderson and McCracken to join forces, and after discussions with other BLRB principals in an extensive interview process, the firm decided to acquire Ascent. McCracken described the action as mutually beneficial, and Anderson said he embraces the ability to focus more on architectural work, instead of running a business.

“The acquisition will really allow me to focus on meeting with clients,” he said. “It’s nice to have the structure of a firm like BLRB behind the office.”

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Spring has arrived, but on a recent visit to Gresham High School, construction crews were battling wind gusts approaching 30 miles per hour. There, hundreds of tradespeople are working on a 169,000-square-foot expansion and modernization project, with general contractor Fortis Construction leading the way.

“The weather has been a challenge because we’re typically out of the wind by now,” Fortis superintendent Dave Salisbury said. “The wind shuts down our crane, and when the crane is shut down we’re not as effective. It’s tough because there’s not much we can do; some things we completely shut down and others we have to work around.”

The project began with demolition of the existing auditorium and several outbuildings in late 2017. Ground was broken in April 2018 on the new three-story classroom wing and new auditorium.

These days, an average of 100 tradespeople are working the site each day. They range from ironworkers to electricians, masons, plumbers, sheet metal and HVAC technicians, carpenters, glaziers and more.

An exterior, weather-resistant barrier is being installed, along with roofing for the new classroom wing. Inside, steel framing is being built and mechanical, electrical and plumbing work is proceeding alongside.

Meanwhile, masons and ironworkers are busy constructing the new auditorium, which does not yet have a roof.

“We’re pretty much ready for rock on level three, and we’re real close on level two and we’re working on level one,” Salisbury said. “But until we get some more of the skin systems installed, we can’t really do any rock.”

The auditorium, he added, is being framed with structural steel.

“Those are the two main pieces and there are some other pieces in there to connect the dots,” he said.

The project is being built in two phases; the first involves the new classroom wing and auditorium. The entrance to the new auditorium will dominate the intersection of Southeast Division Street and Main Avenue.

Designed by BLRB Architects, the project features a series of “porches” to activate the streetscape. Additionally, the school’s historic façade will be honored in concept and detail, with massive cast-in-place concrete “bookends” reconstructed and adorned with original artifacts. The school’s original façade will be retained where the building remains in its original state.

So far, the project is on schedule, and completion of the first phase is expected by the start of the 2019-20 school year. The second phase will involve demolition of old outbuildings and the original gymnasium and construction of their replacements. Completion of that phase is expected to come around December 2020.

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General contractor Pence Construction is seeking sub-bids for all scopes of work associated with a $41.4 million project to improve Glencoe High School in Hillsboro. Additions and renovations are expected to allow the 39-year-old school to accommodate up to 400 additional students.

The front of the school will be overhauled, and a secure entry vestibule will be constructed. Both the north and south parking lots will be reconfigured for traffic flow and efficiency. The first-floor cafeteria will expand, and a new media center will be built on the second floor.

Also, classroom spaces will be renovated to accommodate Career and Technical Education programs. Other additions will include a counseling center and health science classrooms. A commons area will be expanded, and a weight room and team rooms and an outdoor training area will receive upgrades.

Project plans also call for extensive seismic upgrades along with roofing and HVAC improvements.

The project is being paid for with money from a $408 million bond measure approved by voters in 2017. Construction is expected to start by May 2019, and finish by the end of summer 2020.

In addition to Pence Construction, the project team includes BLRB Architects, Cornerstone Management Group (project management) and Sazan Group (MEP and fire protection design).

Job walks for the project, starting at the school entrance, will take place at 4 p.m. on Feb. 12, and 1 p.m. on Feb. 18. Bids are due by 2 p.m. on March 6.

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A construction manager-general contractor is being sought to build a new elementary school and a new secondary school in Kalama, Washington.

The Kalama School District has issued a request for qualifications for a CM-GC to partner with the district to build the two new schools on the existing campus. The combined construction cost is expected to be $49.2 million.

The project is being paid for with money from a in March. Plans call for construction of a new elementary school where the district’s baseball and softball fields now are located, and demolition of the existing school to improve circulation and provide additional parking. Also, a large addition to the existing high school building and middle school building will connect them and provide new classroom space.

Anticipated final completion of the project is anticipated to be December 2020.

The project’s designer is BLRB Architects; currently, it’s completing pre-design work. BLRB principal Greg McCracken is in charge of the design team.

The Construction Services Group at Educational Special District 112, which aids 290 of Washington’s 295 school districts with construction and project management, is handling project management.

Statements of qualifications for are due by 3 p.m. on Oct. 18. A mandatory pre-submittal conference will take place at 9 a.m. on Oct. 10 at the Kalama School District office, at 548 China Garden Road.

will also pay for additions of middle school classrooms, installations of new cooling mechanisms and shop space at Kalama High School, and improvements to facility and site safety via separate projects.

Questions about the work can be emailed to project manager Keith Bloom at keith.bloom@esd112.org.

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The Reynolds School District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at its new Troutdale Elementary School in Troutdale to celebrate completion of the $24 million project. Designed by BLRB Architects and built by general contractor Bremik Construction, the project is one of three new elementary school replacements carried out by the Reynolds district in recent years as part of a $125 million bond measure passed by voters in 2015.

The new school has 72,000 square feet of floor space spread over two stories, with a large multi-purpose room and cafeteria linking a performing arts stage and gymnasium serving as its main hub. The new building replaces an 88-year-old structure.

The new school will have a capacity of 519 students spread over 24 classrooms. The building will be open to students for classes in September. Check out our photo gallery below, taken Wednesday, Aug. 22, at a ribbon-cutting ceremony and building tour hosted by the school district.

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