Sierra High School

Work

Continuing to Serve the Community: A larger, adaptable teaching environment for Sierra Summit HS

This two-phased project readapted a former community center into a public charter school building in Seattle’s International District. Since the project was an occupancy change, DCI conducted a seismic evaluation of the pre-fabricated steel building and obtained radar imaging of the existing foundation to study the thickness of the slab edges.

Sierra Summit High School accommodates about 120 ninth and tenth grade students. To add more classroom space, the project team constructed a 9,000-sf self-supporting, wood-framed mezzanine within the existing steel building. The two structural systems are separate, so no additional seismic loads are imposed upon the existing building.

Location:

Seattle, Washington

Square Feet:

36,000

Stories:

Service:

Structural

Industries:

PK-12

Primary Material:

Concrete, Steel, Wood

Project HighLights

Added 28,800-sf of space to the school environment.
Incorporated 9,000-sf of a self-supporting, wood-framed mezzanine within the existing building to add more classroom space; since the mezzanine is structurally separate from the existing building, no additional seismic loads are placed onto the steel building shell.
Includes interconnected spaces within the school where large, glass garage doors may be opened/close to adjust classroom spaces; also includes an outdoor learning area