Van Asselt School Addition

Overview

Committed to the use of mass timber, the team for Van Asselt created an addition that complements Seattle Public School’s vision for a cleaner, sustainable future. This two-story building will house 30 classrooms and a gymnasium, supporting more than 1,000 students.

Mass timber proved to be a fit with the project’s budget and schedule constraints. With the full team at the table from the very beginning, we were able to look at conceptual designs, timelines, framing options, and big-picture items, ultimately designing a mass timber structure that was not only beautiful, but highly efficient.

Structural designs utilize products at their full efficiency. Universal products are used in creative ways and panels are maximized at full spans, resulting in less overall materials, customizations, and cost.

Construction is poised for success in many ways. Ongoing classes in adjacent buildings will be less disturbed as most components will be prefabricated and lifted into place without the noise associated with steel construction. Additionally, a mass timber erection time comparison study completed by the team demonstrated that speed of installation will be superior to that of a traditional project.