Lowrie Primary school was built with extensive support from our community, through focus groups and the community support of our school district through the Capital Bond funding. The school site, historically used as agricultural land, is nestled within the community of Villebois and transitions the built community into the adjacent wetlands and Coffee Lake ecosystems.The school building models examples of green building design, while also providing opportunities for independent students' learning and small group collaboration. Working in unison with the architecture, the school welcomes students and visitors, provides places to interact and play, and fosters opportunities for play and exploration. 

Lowrie Primary was the grand prize winner of the 2013 NSBA exhibition of school architecture. The design team was inspired by one student who shared during a design meeting, "I want to be the captain of my own learning." this notion was used as a basis to identify features and design techniques that emphasize the building is student centered. Interior spaces are designed to intentionally blur the edges,supporting collaboration, utilizing floor space for transitions and connecting students throughout the building to the library. Collaborative neighborhoods emerge from these open and flexible porches, supporting partnerships and a sense of community between students and teachers. Notions of community, collaboration and teaming drove the use of interior glazing and "see-through" design of the building. This helps connect students and staff to the work of teaching and learning, inviting collaboration and teaming. Splashes of bright colors stem from students voicing desires to have vibrant learning spaces. 

The building and site design promote themes of sustainability and low environmental impact. Orienting the building on an east-west axis increases the potential for daylighting strategies and captures solar heat during the winter months, while reducing excess heat gain in the summer. The light color of the roof minimizes the heat island effect. Wood furnishings in the library and throughout the building bring components of the natural environment into the building. The integrated stormwater system is intended to provide learning opportunities to tell the story of how the water is drained on site. Features such as daylighting, wind turbine, photovoltaics, passive ventilation, use of reclaimed water all contribute to our themes or sustainability and low environmental impact.

Lowrie Primary School is named after the Lowrie family, whose influence and philanthropy has benefited the community of Wilsonville for generations.  The school board was unanimous in its decision to honor this family with the name of our school, recognizing the family's civic engagement, service learning and leadership-all characteristics we aim to foster within our students and community. The school opened in 2012/2013 school year and featured the beginning of our dual language program within the school district, along with Trillium Creek Primary in West Linn. Through student input, Lowrie adopted the "Wolves" as our mascot.

We invite you to come visit when able. To arrange a tour of our school, please email Christy Freeman, Principal at Lowrie Primary at FreemanC@wlwv.k12.or.us.