Place plays a pivotal role in shaping a school’s identity, its community presence, and its purpose. De La Salle North Catholic High School, a private college preparatory school creating pathways for underserved students in Portland, seized the opportunity to find a permanent home where it could reinforce its identity while also integrating into an established community in tune with its mission: “Enter to learn…Leave to serve.”

After working with De La Salle to evaluate more than 40 sites, Bora found the St. Charles Parish in Northeast Portland to be an ideal design opportunity that would transform an underutilized, outdated space into a vibrant new campus. The parish’s existing 30,000 sf K-8 parochial school wing, sitting dormant since its closure in the 1980s, was repurposed and renovated for today’s student trends with flexible classrooms, a visual arts center, and new science laboratories. A 21,000 sf addition now features a learning commons and a larger-volume gymnasium anchoring the east end of the site—both spaces that can welcome public events. The existing and new structures converge to create a central courtyard which serves as the heart of the 350-student campus, bolstering a sense of community for the school.

While its presence alongside the parish fosters a greater sense of place, the school features its own north entrance with an established “front door” off NE Killingsworth. This allows it to remain distinct as it forges a new presence and identity for De La Salle students, staff, and alumni in Portland’s growing Cully neighborhood.