information from Highline Public Schools

Staff from Bassetti Architects returned to their work on the schematic design of a new Evergreen High School with a capacity for 1,200 students. They met again with members of the Evergreen design review committee on December 2.

Find out what is next in the design process and when the next school bond — to pay for construction — is expected to go before voters.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

When the plans for new Evergreen, Tyee and Pacific schools were at nearly 50% schematic design in spring 2020, the design review process was put on hold due to the pandemic and the need for a technology levy. The next likely school bond was delayed from November 2020 until November 2022. 

Now there are enough remaining 2016 bond dollars to pay for additional design development beyond the initial schematic design work promised in the 2016 bond. Taking the designs for the first two schools that would be slated for construction to nearly shovel-ready will speed up the process once another school bond is approved. 

The architects expect that Evergreen High School can be constructed at a different location on campus while students continue to attend school in the existing buildings. Tyee High School, and then Pacific Middle School, will need to take turns using the Olympic Interim School site during demolition and construction.

EVERGREEN DESIGN PROCESS & GOALS

During the 2019-2020 school year, Bassetti Architects held six meetings with Evergreen staff, students and community members serving on the Evergreen design review committee. They toured other new schools, discussed various site layouts, interior and exterior inspirations and reviewed school mission and vision statements as well as district strategic goals.

Some of the design goals the committee set include:

• Reinforce the connection to Lakewood Park.
• Celebrate existing evergreen trees and plant next generation of conifers to reinforce evergreen canopy.
• Regenerate portions of the site to recall the previous environment.
• Locate student commons at the center of the building with direct connections to major program elements, including the gym, theater, library, and exterior courtyard.
• Provide strong indoor/outdoor connections for the commons, learning communities and CTE programs as appropriate.
• Create a variety of engaging outdoor gathering areas.
• Provide a flexible building layout that promotes a variety of learning styles and curriculum models.

PROPOSED SITE PLAN

After proposing and reviewing multiple site layouts with the design review committee, here is the proposed layout and siting of the new school building in a working draft from the slide presentation. The new facility is proposed to be constructed in the northeast corner of the campus, with two structures connected by a continuous, interior bridge that spans an existing sewer easement cutting diagonally across the site. Below is the "Site Plan/50% Schematic Design" presented by Bassetti Architects to the design review committee in December.