Van Asselt School
Location:
Seattle, WA
Year Built:
2023
District:
Seattle Public Schools
Type:
Addition
Photos:
© Ben Benschneider
About this Project
The Van Asselt School project renovated the historic 1909 schoolhouse, a designated landmark in the South Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle, and constructed a new 53,344 SF, two-story addition. The addition features cross-laminated timber (CLT) and is one of the first schools in Seattle to utilize sustainable mass timber building elements such as CLT. The new school serves as a temporary location for other Seattle Public Schools as they undergo renovations or rebuilds. The facility can house up to 1,000 students and offers 26 classrooms, a new gymnasium, and support and collaboration spaces. The project was awarded the Outstanding Stewardship Award from Historic Seattle in 2024. Van Asselt’s expansion is built for flexibility, sustainability and longevity. At the heart of the project is the new classroom wing, a showcase of modern mass timber construction. Exposed glulam beams and CLT decking create a warm and inviting learning environment while enhancing air quality and acoustics throughout.
Project Highlights
- Seattle Public Schools' first mass timber project
- Used concealed Ricon timber‑to‑timber connections for clean aesthetics in exposed areas
- Implemented and executed a robust moisture mitigation plan during construction to protect timber throughout the rainy season
- Collaborated with design team to optimize structural systems, converting gymnasium to steel framing for cost efficiency
Building Statistics
- Building Area: 53,344 SF
- Areas featuring Mass Timber: Classrooms, Gym, Commons
Project Team
- Architect: Bassetti Architects / A Design Studio of HMC Architects
- Structural Engineer: Coughlin Porter Lundeen
- General Contractor: Cornerstone General Contractors
- Timber Installer: Seagate Mass Timber
- Timber Manufacturer: Kalesnikoff
