Every architect has played with LEGO blocks at some point in their life – and many still do. The simplicity of modular, color-coded blocks lets one inject creativity and beauty with limited, and even then only self-imposed, constraints. So, when asked to develop the Mid-level Challenge for the 2019 NWACUHO (Northwest Association of College and University Housing Officers) Conference last February in Portland, Mahlum turned to the venerable block for inspiration and invited housing professionals to develop their ideal student community.

We are thrilled that the American Institute of Architects announced on January 29 that Arlington Elementary School in Tacoma, Washington has been recognized with a 2019 Honor Award. Arlington was chosen in part because its design “eschews basic assumptions and promotes a new model of civic practice in education.”

Washington State is establishing itself as an early leader in mass timber design and construction – a building system that revitalizes rural communities with living wage jobs, fuels economic growth, and provides new high-tech sustainable building materials. Though its use has been previously restricted by International Building Code, recent changes will ensure that new code language and new mass timber building types may be available to designers as early as 2019.

On July 27th, Mahlum’s Commitment to Community (C2C) committee organized a silent art auction in our Portland office to benefit Regional Arts and Culture Council (RACC). RACC is a local non-profit organization that makes the arts more accessible to the community.

Mahlum and the Director of Housing at the University of Oregon, Michael Griffel, hosted an “evening listening session” with the residents of UO’s newest residential community – Kalapuya Ilihi. Happily, what we heard was resounding positive feedback about living in this new space.

On a warm evening in May, we invited the community to join us in our Portland office for an open house exhibit showcasing the work of the elementary school students and design professionals participating in the Architects in Schools program.

We at Mahlum believe that every person on the planet is deserving of safe, secure places to live, work and learn, and we especially believe that no student should have to worry about endangering their lives by simply heading off to school in the morning.

Though all of us are trained in design, we’ve discovered that an intentional process of engaging users and stakeholders is the only way to assure that those whose lives will be most affected by the outcome have influence on how design unfolds to serve their needs.

Seattle Public Schools set out to replace Wilson-Pacific Elementary and Middle Schools, the new Cascadia Elementary School, and Robert Eagle Staff Middle School in order to provide modern facilities and serve a combined 1,660 students co-located on a 16.9 acre site.

via Jesse Walton The history behind school lunches is shared this week on Gastropod. Find out more about surplus meat and locally grown veggies. Check out this story: https://gastropod.com/lunch-gets-schooled/