Van Asselt Public School Building – 2024 Outstanding Stewardship Award
Historic Seattle’s Annual Preservation Celebration is coming up on September 19, 2024. We’ll celebrate the projects and people that help amplify our mission. Today, we feature the Van Asselt Public School Building in Beacon Hill, the 2024 Outstanding Stewardship Award recipient.
Congratulations Van Asselt Public School Building!
The Original Van Asselt School building, nestled in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Seattle, has a rich history dating back to its construction in 1909 by architect Edgar Blair. Initially built as an elementary school, it featured a unique interpretation of Tudor Style architecture, boasting four classrooms around a central stairwell.
Over the years, significant additions, including basement classrooms in the 1940s and an elevator in 2002, expanded the building’s footprint. The Original Van Asselt School was designated a City of Seattle Landmark in May 2019 with both the exterior and interior features of the 1909 construction recognized as significant.
In the summer of 2019, after years of vacancy, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) embarked on an ambitious journey to revitalize the historic landmark as part of a campus expansion initiative. While historic schoolhouses are often repurposed for other uses due to the challenges faced when adapting them to meet the needs of modern education, SPS moved forward with a talented team in place.
The restoration project aimed to preserve the building’s original character while integrating modern features necessary for a 21st-century learning environment. This included updating mechanical, electrical, and fire safety systems, performing a seismic upgrade, and restoring original wood windows, plaster walls, and black slate chalkboards.
Today, the once abandoned centenary schoolhouse stands as a contemporary educational facility.
To address the campus’s capacity needs, a new two-story classroom and gymnasium were constructed adjacent to the original school building. The new structure complements the historic architecture while providing space for an additional 650 students. A formal courtyard enhances the symmetry of the 1909 façade, further integrating the new addition with the landmarked building and the surrounding neighborhood.
Maintaining simplicity in design for the new addition, the restored 1909 building remains the focal point of the site, standing as the tallest and most ornate structure. Celebrated as a testament to the landmark review process, the Original Van Asselt School Building project stands as a shining example of historic schoolhouse rehabilitation, ensuring its legacy for future generations of students, teachers, and community members.
Congratulations to Seattle Public Schools and the project team: Bassetti Architects, Cornerstone General Contactors, Coughlin Porter Lundeen, Metrix Engineers, Hargis, AHBL, Site Workshop, PBS, BET&R, A3 Acoustics LLP, and Shiels Obletz Johnsen, Inc.
Image by Moris Moreno, courtesy of Bassetti Architects