Thousands of people rely on the Eugene Family YMCA each day. Whether it’s for fitness, healthy living, child care, youth development, or a social meeting place, the Y really is a center of the community. Inside and out, the contemporary, 75,000-SF multi-purpose facility enables the nonprofit to grow and diversify how it serves the community in creating a brighter future.
The 2024 Fellowship
With multifaceted affordable housing solutions an ever-growing need in the region, PIVOT’s 2024 Fellow studied the roles intentional community models can play in finding solutions for the housing and loneliness crises.
Abby Brown studied intentional community models, especially for individuals transitioning out of houselessness. Intentional communities are groups of people who choose to live collaboratively and strive to create a lifestyle that reflects their shared values.
The housing shortage has created intense pressure on the housing market, particularly in cities like Eugene. Extremely low vacancy rates have resulted in an ultra-competitive housing environment, exacerbating the challenges faced by individuals trying to secure affordable housing. For many, this has led to homelessness.
“Camas Ridge is Awesome!”
As we designed the Camas Ridge Community School, we brainstormed how we could give students a hands-on experience of building the school.
When we landed on the idea of creating a LEGO model of Camas, we weren’t sure how to go about actually doing that so we turned to some of our innovative partners.
PIVOT commissioned a small team of local students and project managers at Connected Lane County—a non-profit that prepares youth for the future by providing hands-on experiences, career-connected learning, and support services—to design the initial model.
Using software that allows you to design sets with virtually any LEGO piece ever made, the students figured out how to use the software and design the initial model. Then we passed it on to local LEGO experts at Bricks and Minifigs to streamline the design and order the 3,500 pieces it takes to build the model.
Over the summer, we fine-tuned the instructions and did a test build of the model to make sure it actually works. The finished model is more than 4 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 1 foot tall.
We take a lot of pride in Camas Ridge Community School and hope the experience of building the LEGO set will give students an idea of some of the things that go into designing a facility like this school—and maybe inspire some future architects!
The Lego model will be on display at the Camas Ridge Open House on Thursday, October 24 starting at 6 p.m.
Learn more about the school and LEGO build through coverage on KVAL, the Register-Guard, and KEZI.
Camas Ridge Open House: 10.24
PIVOT is helping Eugene School District 4J and Camas Ridge Community School plan the open house on Thursday, October 24 from 6-7:30 p.m.
PIVOT is working with the school to provide student-led tours a large-scale Lego model of Camas Ridge, and more. Check back for more info in the coming days.