The West Seattle High School project mixed new construction with the remodel and renovation of an existing historic school structure, resulting in a fully modernized 198,000 sq. ft. facility. The primary building structures are two-story classrooms and administrative spaces, a new theater and a new gymnasium. The scope included extensive renovations of the original historic 1917 main school structure including restoration of original windows, re-pointing exterior architectural brick, and casting and installing Terra Cotta exterior and interior features comparable to those in the original building.
The facility includes new fire protection and fire-alarm systems, energy monitoring and control system, security and fire alarms, and new data and communications systems. Specialty items included the installation of new elevators for ADA access, vehicle lifts in the automotive education area, and stretched membrane wall and ceiling panel.
Seismic upgrades were required throughout the existing structure, and included anchoring the existing masonry walls to new metal framing, reinforcing the original post and beam attic structure with modern hardware, adding new structural steel bracing, reinforcing the 50-foot-high masonry walls with shotcrete shear walls, and under pin and upgrade footings of the existing building with the load carried by full floating shoring systems.