Roseburg High School - Roseburg, Oregon

An expansive and vibrant new courtyard provides Roseburg High School students with a variety of gathering spaces for small study groups or large assemblies. The courtyard was kept as open as possible to allow for the major circulation patterns converging on this site. Sitting walls, tree wells and plant beds direct traffic and create more intimate gathering spaces.

A committee composed of members of the Roseburg High School community influenced and directed the design of the courtyard. Desiring to recall the regional Native American heritage, the committee and Schlesinger & Associates chose the colors and patterns of the courtyard to resemble the interwoven patterns of the crafts made by the local Native American tribe, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.

A row of tiles, zigzagging across the eastern half of the courtyard both aids circulation and provides art students an opportunity to design and create tiles to be purchased by community members. A stage on the northern edge of the courtyard creates space for formal and impromptu performances. A teepee atop the stage serves as a message board. Lush plantings frame the courtyard, softening the building edges and creating an attractive green space within.