SĀJ Architecture is proud to announce that the Gresham-Barlow Student Health Center has received a 2026 TopProjects Award from the Oregon Daily Journal of Commerce (DJC). The premier awards program for the region’s built environment, DJC TopProjects honors the best building and construction projects in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Winners were celebrated in June at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.
The 2,400-square-foot, ground-up facility gives Gresham-Barlow School District students convenient access to primary care, immunizations, vision screenings, and mental and behavioral health services. Research shows school-based health centers increase class attendance, reduce dropout rates, improve academic success, and reduce emergency room visits.
The award highlights SĀJ Architecture’s unique combination of K-12 education and health-care design experience. The firm led the district, the Oregon School-Based Health Alliance, and nonprofit medical provider Wallace Medical Concern through a series of planning sessions to identify design priorities. The resulting program fits three exam rooms, behavioral health space, a laboratory, staff areas, and a reception/waiting area into an efficient footprint. Exam rooms are placed away from the busy street for patient privacy, and a south-facing courtyard offers a calming respite space. Inside, durable finishes stand up to daily use and medical-grade cleaning, balanced with biophilic design elements — soothing colors, natural light, and wood-inspired finishes — that support students’ sense of well-being when seeking care.
Financed entirely through legislative requests, the project also demonstrates SĀJ Architecture’s proactive approach to grant funding support, cost control, and schedule adherence. Bremik Construction served as general contractor.
SĀJ Architecture is a full-service firm with offices in Bend and Portland, Oregon. We offer architecture, interior design, and planning for commercial and public projects ranging from multifamily housing to hospitality to K-12 public and independent schools. Our team’s collaborative, client- and community-focused design process combines exceptional project management and technical expertise to create spaces and places where people live, learn, work, and play.