OMSI Media Contact:
Mark Patel – 602.373.3055;
mpatel@omsi.edu
For Immediate Release
DKa SELECTED TO DESIGN COASTAL DISCOVERY CENTER
Portland, Ore. (September 10, 2013) – The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) has selected
Dangermond Keane Architecture (DKa) to lead the architectural design process for its new Coastal Discovery
Center in Newport, Oregon. DKa’s design effort will be centered around 20 acres in the Coho/Brant area (west
of Hwy 101 and adjacent to South Beach State Park) and will culminate in the creation of a year-round facility
to accommodate OMSI’s outdoor school and summer camp programs.
“We are tremendously excited to be partnering with DKa to move our planning effort forward. Today’s selection
brings us another step closer to realizing our vision of bringing powerful, year-round coastal programming to
thousands of children,” said Jamie Hurd OMSI’s Vice President of Programs.
The Coastal Discovery Center is envisioned as a 20-acre science camp and living laboratory with indoor
teaching spaces, a dining/convening space, and lodging for 150 children, families, and school groups,
eventually serving over 5,000 people a year. In the rich learning environment of Oregon’s Central Coast,
subject matter will range from dune ecology and ocean observation to wave energy generation technologies
and the sustainable fishing industry, augmenting and supporting Newport’s Ocean Observing Initiative and
economic development strategies.
For the past 60 years OMSI has operated camps throughout Oregon’s diverse ecosystems, from their own
Hancock Field Station in the high desert, to a host of leased sites in lush forests and mountain ranges, and
along the stunning Oregon coast. At these camps over 100,000 children and families from all over Oregon
have benefitted from OMSI’s outdoor education programs.
As the result of visionary gifts from John Gray and Investors XII OMSI now has the opportunity to develop a
permanent new home for its marine science education programs on this unique 20-acre coastal property.
Newport’s combination of natural environments and extraordinary access to the local science and education
community already in place makes study at the new Coastal Discovery Center a truly unique learning
proposition for students everywhere.
“We are delighted to have been selected by OMSI,” said Steve Dangermond, Principal Architect at DKa. “We
have assembled a diverse team of experts, including an engineering firm from the Central Oregon Coast and a
design team with deep understanding of the unique programmatic requirements for outdoor environmental
education. Paired with OMSI’s deep knowledge in science education, we believe this new facility will offer truly
exceptional educational experiences for all Oregonians. ”
About OMSI
Founded in 1944, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is one of the nation’s leading science
museums, a world-class tourist attraction, and an award-winning educational resource for the kid in each of us.
OMSI is located at 1945 SE Water Avenue, Portland, OR 97214. For general information, call 503.797.4000 or
visit omsi.edu.
Images of the site can be found at: omsi.edu/coastal-discovery-center
About Dangermond Keane Architecture
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Dangermond Keane Architecture of Portland is a nationally recognized design firm providing architectural
services for a wide variety of institutional clients. In addition to projects at the Oregon Zoo, the firm’s diverse
portfolio of recent work includes and expansion of the Birch Aquarium in San Diego and a visitor center and
science education center for the Sanford Underground Research Facility, a high-energy physics laboratory to
be located a mile underground in a decommissioned gold mine in the Black Hills of South Dakota. More at
dangermondkeane.net
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