By Lindsey Coulter听

The Giddens School and Lake Washington Girls Middle School complex brings two independent schools together on a single urban campus, balancing shared resources with distinct identities in a tightly programmed, three-story building between Seattle鈥檚 Beacon Hill and Central District neighborhoods.听

Designed by Graham Baba Architects (architecture and interior design) in collaboration with Anjali Grant Design (educational consultant and collaborating architect), the campus is听located听on a constrained site with significant grade change, the 52,500-square-foot project was designed to support co-location without compromise. While Giddens serves a coeducational pre-K through fifth-grade population and Lake Washington Girls Middle School educates girls in grades six through eight, both schools share a pedagogical emphasis on inquiry-based learning,听flexibility听and community connection.听

From the outset, the design and construction process focused on how architecture could reinforce educational goals while responding to neighborhood scale, sustainability听priorities听and long-term adaptability.听

Planning a Shared but Distinct Educational Model听

Co-locating two independent schools offered operational efficiencies but required careful planning to preserve each school鈥檚 culture and daily rhythms.听Each school has its own entry sequence, circulation patterns and clustered academic spaces, while shared program areas are located at the center of the building.听

Giddens鈥� program includes 12 classrooms, early childhood and elementary playgrounds, and a听makerspace supporting science,听art听and social studies. Pre-K classrooms are grouped near the school鈥檚 entry, while elementary classrooms and administrative areas are stacked on two levels running east to west. The school serves approximately 240 students.听

Lake Washington Girls Middle School accommodates about 110 students. Its classrooms and administrative spaces are stacked above a dedicated entry and organized north to south. The two schools connect through shared spaces including a gym and performance hall, library,听commons听and dining areas.听

鈥淭he biggest challenge in terms of school identity was the entries,鈥� the design team noted. Each entry needed to be welcoming and legible for families while听maintaining听a balanced presence on the site. Color,听materials听and subtle shifts in form were used to distinguish the schools without creating visual competition.听

Flexible Spaces Designed to Evolve听

Flexibility听guided听both spatial planning and interior detailing. Classrooms were designed to accommodate multiple age groups,听subjects听and teaching styles, with adaptability over time considered a core requirement.听

The project includes preschool classrooms with direct outdoor access and dedicated restrooms, elementary classrooms, middle school听classrooms,听and a range of specialty spaces for art, science,听STEAM听and performance. Operable walls鈥攐ften clad in whiteboard material鈥攁llow rooms to expand or contract. Minimal built-ins,听high ceilings听with exposed structure and neutral finishes give teachers latitude to configure spaces as needed.听

Hallways incorporate interior windows into classrooms, visually connecting learning听spaces听and increasing access to daylight. Breakout areas at multiple scales support small-group instruction and informal collaboration.听

The gymnasium doubles as a performance space, with a stage and fold-out seating. An operable wall allows the stage to function daily as a music and theater classroom serving both schools.听

Responding to Neighborhood and Site Constraints听

The L-shaped building opens to the south, forming a protected outdoor play and gathering space that takes advantage of solar exposure. This configuration shields the campus from more industrial contexts to the north and east while creating a softer edge toward adjacent residential streets.听

Topography played a significant role in massing decisions. With approximately 20 feet of elevation change across the site, portions of the building read as two stories from the neighborhood side, while larger-volume spaces such as the gym, storage, mechanical听rooms听and some parking tuck beneath the main level.听

Outdoor space within the 鈥淟鈥� functions as both a daily play area and an exterior performance venue. On the third level, Giddens occupies the west side of the floor, while Lake Washington Girls Middle School accesses a fenced rooftop playfield with expansive urban views.听

These strategies helped balance density with neighborhood compatibility while maximizing usable outdoor space on a small urban site.听

Sustainability as Curriculum听

Sustainable systems were intentionally made visible and accessible as teaching tools. A cistern and underground tank collect rainwater used to flush toilets, with signage in restrooms explaining the system. Solar panels form the entry canopy at Giddens and are supplemented by an听additional听rooftop array.听

Bio-retention gardens throughout the site filter stormwater, while a rain gauge connected to the cistern allows students to track water collection. Educational signage, developed pro bono by the design team, is displayed in shared areas such as the commons.听

Teachers have incorporated these systems into coursework and have invited architects to speak with students about environmental responsibility and building performance.听

Materials,听Health听and Long-Term Performance听

Material听selection听focused on durability, low听toxicity听and ease of maintenance. The team developed a sustainability matrix informed by听established听frameworks to听identify听strategies with the greatest impact.听

Flooring includes low- and zero-VOC materials such as linoleum,听rubber听and polished concrete. Casework is formaldehyde-free, and coatings throughout the building meet low-emissions standards. These decisions support indoor air quality and long-term resilience in high-use educational spaces.听

Lessons for Future Urban Campuses听

The project reinforced several strategies applicable to future urban K鈥�8 and middle school campuses: early and ongoing engagement with teachers and students; advance scheduling for shared spaces; careful program stacking on tight sites; and deliberate planning of entries and circulation for multiple user groups.听

Equally important were generous daylighting, visual connections between spaces and flexible shared areas that encourage interaction while supporting separation when needed.听

Designed for adaptability and longevity, the campus reflects how thoughtful design and construction can support evolving educational models in dense urban contexts.听

Project Team

• Graham Baba Architects (architecture and interior design)
• Anjali Grant Design (educational consultant and collaborating architect)
• Costigan Integrated (project manager)
• Cascade Design Collaborative (landscape architect)
• KPFF (civil and structural engineer)
• GeoEngineers (geotechnical engineer)
• Heffron Transportation Inc. (traffic consultant)
• Ecotope (mechanical engineer)
• Rushing (electrical engineer)
• Exxel Pacific (general contractor)
• A3 Acoustics (acoustical consultant)
• Dark Light (lighting designer)
• JRS Engineering (building envelope consultant)
• Emerald Aire (mechanical contractor)
• Holaday-Parks (plumbing contractor)
• Johnson Electric (electrical contractor)

Materials & Products

• Wood siding: Kebony
• Metal siding: AEP Span (Mini-V-Beam and Prestige profiles)
• Windows: VPI Quality Windows (vinyl)
• Storefront: Arcadia
• Roofing: Soprema
• Gym flooring: Robbins Sports Surfaces Bio-Cushion Classic
• Tile: Daltile
• Carpeting: Shaw Contract

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By听Lindsey Coulter听

TAHOLAH, Wash. 鈥斕齌aholah School District marked a historic milestone on Nov.听14, when community members, families, students, and partners gathered to celebrate the official groundbreaking for the district’s new听75,000-square-foot K-12 school, which upon completion will听serve 250 students.听听

The听event听began with an offering and blessing of the land, followed by honoring the contributions that made the听project possible. Traditional blankets and necklaces made by students were presented to key Quinault Indian Nation members as well as to the听legislators, organizers, planners,听architects听and听project听team members.听

鈥淭his project shows what鈥檚 possible when schools and communities work together,鈥� said Superintendent Dr. Herman J. Lartigue Jr.听in a statement at the groundbreaking ceremony.听鈥淭he Quinault Indian Nation has leased the land for this new school.听We鈥檙e听grateful for their partnership and for the state鈥檚 support. Our students will learn in a building that keeps them safe.鈥�听

The current school sits in the听community鈥檚听lower village, an area vulnerable to flooding,听earthquakes听and tsunamis.听The state听named听the replacement of the existing听Taholah School听as听a听top priority under the School Seismic Safety Grant Program, recognizing the urgent need to move students to higher ground.听The new facility will be located 150 feet above sea level as part of the new upper Taholah village听development.听The school鈥檚 relocation is part of the Tribe鈥檚 larger relocation, anticipating the impacts of听natural disasters, which have intensified in the area as a result of听climate change.听Along with the move to a听safer and more听stable site, the new school听facility听will provide modernized learning spaces.听

The Quinault Indian Nation donated the land,听and the project is the result of years of听collaboration between Taholah School District, the Quinault Business Council, state听legislators听and听local听families.听

Project partners include project architect Arcadis; structural engineer Degenkolb Engineers; civil engineer Akana; mechanical,听electrical听and plumbing engineer Tres West Engineers; landscape architect Osborn Consulting; acoustical engineer A3 Acoustics LLP; food service designer JLR DESIGN GROUP INC; and theater designer. PLA Designs, INC.听听

Additionally, cultural consultant Donaldson Consulting听facilitated听community听engagement and communications with the owner and the Quinault Tribe. This step will ensure听the community鈥檚 voices are heard throughout the project and that cultural elements are implemented appropriately from schematic design through construction, according to the firm.听听

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TACOMA, Wash. 鈥� Bates Technical College and the state Department of Enterprise Services have tapped the Walsh Group and Schreiber Starling Whitehead Architects as the design-build team for their $43.7 million Medical Mile Health Science Center (MMHSC) in downtown Tacoma.

MMHSC will serve as an Allied Health + STEM facility for the college鈥檚 allied health, medical arts and STEM programs. The college is currently in the design phase for the center, which will be located on their downtown campus, with an estimated opening in 2023.

鈥淲e are excited to build a new facility that will replace an antiquated structure at our downtown campus and help fuel our booming regional health care industry with a qualified workforce,鈥� said Bates Technical College President Lin Zhou, Ph. D. 鈥淭he facility will increase student capacity in healthcare-related programs and, with several hospitals and medical centers within walking distance of campus, is in a prime location. New construction will modernize approximately 70,000 GSF of new space specially designed with state-of-the-art medical arts learning areas. The building will create a cohesive health care, science and technology facility with improved energy performance and sustainability features, similar to the award-winning Advanced Technology Building at the college鈥檚 Central/Mohler Campus.鈥�

MMHSC will house classroom and lab spaces to replace the existing West Annex Building on the Bates Technical College campus.

The MMHSC building will feature a state-of-the-art Sim Lab, Skills Lab, and other STEM facilities. The building will advance the use of simulation technology to enhance learning, provide a safe and effective way to train students and develop a more qualified workforce in a number of fields.

It is anticipated that the Allied Health training programs housed in the new building will include the following:

• Practical Nursing
• Nursing Assistant Certified
• Occupational Therapy Assistant
• Hearing Instruments Technology
• Dental Laboratory Technician
• Denturist
• Dental Assisting
• Biomedical Engineering Tech
• Bio Tech Lab Tech

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The school construction process is full of potential pitfalls, but projects become exponentially more complex when an American architectural firm works in a country that is thousands of miles away, where the language, culture and construction protocols are different.

As an international design firm with offices in the United States and abroad, Perkins Eastman has 10 years of experience working in China, but the design and construction process still presents a unique challenge.

The firm is working on a multi-component project at Concordia International School that has reshaped the campus with an expanded elementary school, a new fine arts center and an expanded high school that is under construction. The school provides lessons based on U.S. curriculum and Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod principles for a growing population of pre-K to 12th-grade students.

The school opened 10 years ago with 22 students and 14 faculty members and has grown to accommodate 1,000 students from 30 countries and 100 teachers. It has witnessed a 33 percent annual growth in recent years.

International Delivery

The elementary school and fine arts center projects took coordination with the firm’s New York, Stamford, Conn., and Shanghai offices, creating a logistical puzzle that involved several designers in different times zones.

The offices coordinated with electronic correspondences, video conferencing technology and occasional face-to-face visits at various locations worldwide.

“Having all of these people — not only involved with one project but with three different offices within our firm — it certainly is a challenge to be able to contribute over two very fast time zones,” says Aaron Schwarz, a principal and director of Perkins Eastman at the firm’s New York headquarters. “It was a pretty interesting process.”

He says Perkins Eastman’s office in Shanghai, lead by managing principal Ron Vitale, was crucial to the project’s success and created a physical presence for the firm that allowed for cultural adjustments and mitigation of potential problems.

“With our offices in New York and Stamford, we are clearly coming from a background of western cultures and western education, which the international school wants to have a big foothold in,” Schwarz says. “At the same time, Ron is right there with his team and he can say what works from a construction point of view, how cultural changes are made and other issues.”

The firm has been active in China since 1998 and opened the Shanghai office, where 20 people are now employed, in 2004.

“Building internationally takes a completely different understanding of how to move forward with a project and get it implemented,” Schwarz says. “It is not at all the same as what we do here in the states.”

Language barriers were navigated with nearly 40 Perkins Eastman employees who speak Mandarin, but the bidding, scheduling and construction processes required flexibility from the firm.

“It really helps for us to be here because construction does not happen with the same process that it does in the U.S.,” Vitale says. “It really requires day-to-day contact and monitoring of the site.”

The construction process in China is more fast paced than in the United States and not as well organized, according to Vitale. Architects do not get a list of shop drawing submittals in advance and they just “kind of happen,” he says.

“When things do come up with this sort of unannounced process, at least we’re here to address it and we can contact our colleagues back in the U.S. and get them to focus on what’s important at that time,” he says.

Concordia’s Community

Plans for the new facilities at Concordia were initiated in 2006 when school officials hired Perkins Eastman to revise the master plan for the campus after land that the school was considering for an expansion was purchased by developers.

A rooftop art terrace  provides a view of the cityscape for students working on art projects.

“They were left with a shortage of acreage, but they were able to build up a floor-to-area ratio and that had a great influence over the way that current projects are being developed,” Vitale says.

A suburban building model was abandoned for a more condensed urban model that utilizes rooftop areas for play and art spaces. The rooftop areas posed an early challenge with some teachers who not completely sold on the concept.

“In urban settings you don’t have much of a choice — you’ve got to go up,” says Louise Schini Weber, elementary school and founding principal of Concordia. “Getting teachers to appreciate the rooftop playground was a challenge this first year, but one that has been overcome.”

Despite the need for a more dense campus, efforts were made to break down the scale to create spaces that are child-friendly.

The 35,500-square-foot fine arts center is broken down with a large box that houses a theater and dark performances spaces, alongside a smaller box that houses rehearsal space.

Straying from the windowless, artificially lit practice spaces of yesteryear, the space was designed to provide daylight and transparency.

The two forms are embraced by a folding roof that shades a rooftop art terrace while covering most of an exterior wall.

A land shortage forced planners to take a more vertical, urban approach at the school.

“They sound like very complex ideas, but when you look at the form, it’s very identifiable so students and faculty understand,” Schwarz says.

The theme of transparency and flexibility is repeated throughout the campus in classroom spaces and other areas.

“There is a general desire for transparency on the campus for all of the buildings,” Vitale says. “It’s not just for special dynamics, but also for safety, observation and other key education purposes.”

Classrooms in the elementary school utilize a team-teaching approach with two teachers for about 40 students and discovery rooms that provide hands-on tools for interactive learning and experimentation.

“They were really looking at developing a classroom model where there is the ability for team teaching and unique adjacencies with spaces that would allow them to maximize use of the facility and do multiple activities in one space,” says Pamela Loeffelman, managing principal of the Samford office.

Flexibility is encouraged with rolling doors, similar to those commonly applied as garage doors, to separate interior and exterior spaces. The doors can limit access to the discovery rooms, reconfigure spaces for large or small groups, or provide access to outdoor play areas.

“We have these huge doors that go up vertically to open out into the grass area,” Weber says. “They have such fun using them because kids can go outside and into the motor skills area, and back.”

Primary colors were used throughout the elementary school’s interior.

The flexible learning and play spaces reinforce the strong sense of community that is emphasized at the school, Weber says.

“The kids can flow back and forth whenever teachers want them to and it builds a community between the two groups,” she says.

Planners also worked to provide community spaces at the school that could be used when classes are not in session — an important factor for the expatriates who relocated to China for business reasons.

Spaces for adult soccer leagues, flea markets and continuing education are provided at the campus, Vitale says.

“There is a community aspect that becomes a real key element in the design of these campuses,” he says. “All of these students hold foreign passports and their parents generally work for foreign companies in China.”

Aesthetic Considerations

In addition to promoting community and flexibility through design, planners introduced several materials that pushed the project’s aesthetic beyond the bricks and mortar of traditional construction.

“We looked at expanding the palette that was there and really played with some great new materials to create a new scale and texture and more color at that campus,” Vitale says.

Zinc paneling, terracotta baguettes, sunscreens and low-emissions glass are complemented by colorful interiors that were designed to provide an inviting environment and assist with wayfinding.

Primary colors are generously applied in the elementary school spaces and colors were used with accent walls, stairways and art areas.

“We used color to identify spaces by function and by use,” Vitale says. “Architecturally it works in helping to understand the building design and with wayfinding.”

The pairing of flexible design spaces and aesthetic enhancements with the community concepts and nontraditional approach to learning spaces provided the ideal climate for a client-architect relationship, according to the planners at Perkins Eastman.

“International schools offer a great opportunity for innovation,” Vitale says. “I think some of the international schools we are doing offer greater opportunity for innovation than the public school market. It’s not just from a design perspective, but also in terms of the curriculum and educational programs.”

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