Client: Lake Washington School District
Size: 230,000 sf
Location: Kirkland, WA

Our first task was to determine the feasibility of a comprehensive modernization of the existing facility versus replacement with a new school building. To provide the best long term value and support the educational direction of the District, the decision was made to build a new facility. Along with a diverse group of Lake Washington High School stakeholders, we developed a curriculum vision that embraces the concept of small learning communities. The design includes four separate multi-grade houses that support 315 students. These houses provide close proximity of a variety of classroom types and integrated curriculum with shared learning spaces while maintaining the elements of a comprehensive high school. Transparency was a key theme to accomplish cross discipline goals, generous daylight, visual accessibility to a variety of learning environments and course work while facilitating teacher/student monitoring. The four primary building wings are joined around the building "heart" that contains the library and commons spaces. The four building wings create an outdoor courtyard that provides areas for assembly, learning, socializing and circulating between the different wings. This project is designed to allow the existing school to remain in operation during construction and also incorporates an alternative Junior High School. The District utilized the GC/CM method of project delivery.