An outdated ‘70s era high school is given new life as a sustainable, light‐filled, inspiring learning environment.

Olympic High School was originally constructed in 1979 as an unappealing series of low‐slung, dark, functional boxes. Principal Rebecca Johnson explains that the well‐worn facility simply no longer measured up to the aspirations of its students and dedicated staff, imagining instead a place where students can “stand up straight” and be proud of themselves and their school. The school district hired S×S to give Olympic a new 92,500 SF centerpiece, which includes a prominent new Entry, Classrooms, Technical Labs, and a 417-seat performing arts theatre. Central to the scheme is a two-story light‐filled Commons where students and faculty can congregate, meet, eat, and interact.

The addition is designed with sustainable principles in mind. According to predictive energy modeling, the school will use 70% less energy than code allows, and thus received a $112,000 conservation grant from Puget Sound Energy. A drainage ditch in front of the school that feeds into Stampede Creek was reinvigorated with biologically restorative plants, and is now traversed with a footbridge as a highlight of coming to school.

Given the complexity of weaving new programs into an existing school, numerous workshops were held with the school community, which included “playing with blocks,” or moving spaces around on a scale model in order to achieve a user‐friendly floor plan. Construction was carefully managed via a GCCM process to allow school to remain in session while its new center is built.

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