Madrone Hall and White Oak Hall; More than extra space for classrooms

Madrone Hall and its' power generating windows.

At A Glance
Who: Lead architect, Don Johnson, and LBCC staff.
What: LBCC's new science buildings; Madrone Hall and White Oak Hall
Where: Linn-Benton Community College
When: Construction expected to be completed by May, 2011
Why: Why these buildings are so special.

LBCC's new science buildings, Madrone Hall and White Oak Hall, are a combination of updated science facilities, expanded classrooms and staff space. The two buildings are special to LBCC for they allow opportunities for students to interact and learn from the new and innovative engineering while bringing a place for the art and literature groups blend ideas with the math and science groups of the student body.

Madrone Hall generates energy using windows that collect solar cells. Along with White Oak Hall, there is a curtain wall system that prolongs the integrity of the buildings. Between the two buildings, under the garden, is a bioswale producing it's own water treatment system.

Madrone Hall is now open while the construction on White Oak Hall is expected to be done by May 2011.

LBCC's new 28,000 sqare foot science building, Madrone Hall, has more than extra staff offices and classrooms. The south facing windows allow light to travel through as the translucent solar cells within the windows collect energy. The excess energy not being used by the building will go onto the city's energy grid providing power to the rest of the city. There will be a generator in which students and faculty may see how much energy is being produced and used.

The new science buildings are 100% made up of recycled materials. Madrone Hall alone cost $8.9 million for construction. The project's superintendent, Dennis Miller, led around three hundred sub-contractors in building Madrone Hall.

On the first floor of Madrone Hall there are classrooms for science, engineering, and technology divisions. The second floor contains physical science, biological science, and biology classrooms.

LBCC's former school president, Rita Caven, was an advocate in using green recources and money saving techniques for the school when laying out the first blueprints of constructing both Madrone Hall and White Oak Hall, according to Don Johnson who is the lead architect of the buildings and garden. Don Johnson's office is D.J. Architecture in Albany, Oregon.

The brick and metal siding on the building has a rain screen system that allows hot and cool air to move around in the walls to lessen the chance of mold and increase the integrity of the building.

Don Johnson said, "It is an innovated curtain wall system and this is the first time it has been introduced to the United States."

LBCC's new garden between Madrone Hall and White Oak Hall houses an indigenious habitat made up of native plants.

"Under the garden is a bioswale that collects rainwater in storage tanks and sterilizes the water," said Don Johnson, "All of the rain water that is collected will be reused and there will be no impact on the city's water system."

The bioswale not only saves the school money, but serves the student body with interactive learning oppurtunities.

"There will be a gazebo in the garden with a transparent roof, when phase two of construction is done, that will generate power using its' roof in the same way that the south facing windows on Madrone Hall do." Don Johnson said.

On the roof of LBCC's prior science building will be a 5,000 square foot green house that will provide a natural habitat for birds and plant life. The natural habitat will also serve as a cooling system for the entire building.

Dan Lara, who is Dean of Science, said "The new science buildings are designed to create a place for all the diversities of LBCC's student body to come together and blend their ideas."

Dan Lara, Bridgid Backus, Warren Coffeen, Stefan Seiter, and Roger Maurer were key representatives of the physical sciences, biology, agriculture, and mathematics staff. They communicated all ideas from their departments to the lead architect.

"Administration were 100% supportive of the ideas coming from the faculty to provide more space for students to come together." said Dan Lara. He calls the project "A labor of love."