Lincoln High School serves over 1,700 students on 11 acres in downtown Portland. When a master planning phase determined a new building would replace the existing 1952 building on the opposite end of the site, the constrained, urban campus required a complete reimagining. The new campus is densely programmed with two sports fields, an entry plaza, commons plaza, concessions plaza, outdoor play area for the teen parent center and a 120-capacity bike shelter.
The campus sits where Tanner Creek historically flowed in a steep gulch. In the late 1800s, Chinese immigrants lived and farmed along the creek. Although Tanner Creek has long been buried 30 feet underground, the design of the commons plaza brings its history to the surface. The geometric paving pattern is reminiscent of the former farm plots. Pebble-shaped seating and inlaid steel ribbon meander through the linear plaza, recalling the former creek.
Ecoroofs, wide swaths of hardy and native plants and an increase in the number of site trees create a more robust urban ecosystem. Relocated artifacts of the former campus – such as a rose garden and plaques honoring LHS Rose Festival queens – connect the new school to its past while it grows into the future.
Owner: Portland Public Schools
Architect: Bora Architecture & Interiors