Nehalem Elementary Playground Shelter

Location: Nehalem, Oregon
Services Provided: Design, Construction Documents, Construction Administration

The playground shelter at Nehalem Elementary and its sister structure at Garibaldi Elementary each provide 5,000 square feet of dry, covered play space for elementary school children. In a region that experiences over 90 inches of rain per year, outdoor play has a profound impact on the development and well-being of not only children, but also neighborhood residents. NeahKahNie School District recognized this need and built the structure with the community in mind as well, providing basketball hoops, 24 hour access, and user-controlled lighting so that everyone can also benefit from the facility. In a collaboration with Oregon Clean Power Cooperative, the school district installed 23 kilowatts of solar panels that are grid-tied to offset the school’s energy consumption. There is a battery system as well, so the shelter can provide a disaster-resiliency function: during an emergency, community members can gather there, stay dry, and charge their cell phones and medical devices.