Vida- McKenzie Community Center
After a painful loss to fire, minimal insurance reimbursement, and a lot of pain in the community from other losses the McKenzie Valley had to come together to rebuild. They rose to the occasion along with many members of the larger area from both the private and public sectors. The culmination of this grass-roots effort led to an important space that will serve as a dignified center for many of life's occasions and celebrations moving forward, as well as giving others a destination to hold events on the banks of the McKenzie at.
We sincerely thank all of those who gave so generously to help make this building possible.
A grand entry provides shelter and a transitional zone for entering and exiting.
Inside, trusses vault the sapce and a baby grand piano is available to animate it along with an integrated a/v system above the fireplace
An expensive but visionary asset to the space is the commercial kitchen, championed by a board member willing to search far and wide for funding.
Bi-fold service doors allow the kitchen to be open to the larger assembly space as needed.
There are two passive acoustic strategies used in the assembly space to help with occupant comfort: an acoustic wainscot and "wood wool" soffit panels above the light shelf, and the result is remarkable. The space is still nicely alive acoustically, but the reverberation time is moderate, and intelligibility of speech during events is superb.
Smaller details inside and out are both thoughtful and well-executed with good solid materials
Outside, the service end of the building also provides shelter and easy access for the commercial kitchen
And the quieter back porch is a place for gathering outdoors in all weather, and provides a scenic view
The McKenzie River flows by majestically, just below the porch, beyond a public boat landing below.
Out back and on the side, a large patio space also became excellent fundraiser, with individually engraved pavers purchased by donors that now makes for a fun bit of discovery on site.
And one pre-construction anecdote prior to demolition that should not be forgotten is the time capsule reveal carried out by the Debris Management Task Force. It was found inside the 1949 cornerstone from the original building's construction. The video also has some helpful images of the former building and details of the 2020 wildfire disaster.