Firm: Integrus Architecture

Project Name: Clyde Hill Elementary School

Project Statement: Nestled among towering evergreens above scenic Lake Washington in the residential hilltop community of Clyde Hill, the new Elementary School is designed to inspire students and staff to perform to their highest potential. This is accomplished through engaging spaces, natural materials, daylight and views, and adaptable plan with strong outdoor connections to the environment and community. The school replaces an existing, outdated facility, with a capacity of 660 students from pre-kindergarten through grade five. The Bellevue School District prides itself on developing compelling, enduring, and sustainable schools, unique to their communities, which support learning and discovery, while being good stewards of resources. Achieving a robust set of sustainable strategies, the school has a reported EUI of 11 kBTU/ft2/year and is net-zero ready.

[Connections to Natural Environment] The school community and city residents treasure the inspiring natural environment of Clyde Hill defined by its trees and commanding views. Establishing prominent connections to the surrounding environment is essential to the school, creating a strong sense of place and maintaining community pride. The building massing frames a series of outdoor connections around the entire school, and the city’s restrictive 25-foot building height limit inspired a split-level organization that works with and features the site’s natural slope, ensuring the building fits within the residential scale of Clyde Hill. Biophilic design principles further the occupants’ connection with the surrounding environment and the benefits and delight it provides.

[Community Center] The entry of the school is a welcoming beacon with a generous “front porch” inviting families and the community to socialize and develop lasting relationships. Open to the “front porch” and main entry, the commons is conceived as the school’s “family room” for students, families, and the community alike. The library and STEM lab are also situated off the school’s “main street” to allow community use. The building’s materials and scale were designed to inspire and appeal to children and adults, making all feel comfortable and welcome.

[Adaptable and Flexible] Several key design features allow the school to adapt day to day or year to year, as student grade-level populations fluctuate or programs require change. The radial organization of the building was developed as a series of learning clusters arrayed around a central courtyard. This organization provides “swing” classrooms at pivot points in the stacked learning clusters, allowing them to connect to alternating adjacent clusters and accommodate different classroom groupings, both horizontally and vertically. The library is connected to the STEM lab with an operable glass partition, expanding the programmatic functions of the library to include a large makerspace and allowing it to adapt and evolve. The gym and commons, adjoined with a large operable wall, support large student gatherings or community use.

[Environmental Response] The Bellevue School District and the citizens of Clyde Hill prioritize building performance and environmental stewardship. The new school builds on these shared values to deliver one of the district’s highest performing elementary schools. The building features a myriad of sustainable strategies to reduce its long-term operation costs and environmental impact.

Passive design strategies include a building form that provides balanced daylight and a building envelope that exceeds code required insulation and air infiltration values. The building’s systems minimize energy consumption, reducing operating expenses and carbon emissions. The geothermal system utilizes glycol, rather than water, for increased efficiency. Highly efficient heat pumps, close to zones served, provide heating and cooling, and a fully decoupled dedicated outside air system with heat recovery provides ventilation. The building features a 100-kW net-metered PV array and an additional 50-kW PV array on a battery back-up system. All lighting is LED, and daylight and occupancy sensors minimize energy used by lighting. The combined energy reduction strategies result in a building with a reported EUI of 11 kBtu/ft2 /yr and is net-zero ready.

Daylight and views, operable windows, healthy and inspiring materials, excellent indoor air quality, and biophilic design create a rich environment that improves occupant health, wellbeing, and performance. The form of the building maximizes classrooms with windows on two sides, providing balanced daylight with an average sDA of 55% and ASE of 16%. Interior materials were selected based on durability and indoor air quality, avoiding toxic chemicals. Incorporation of natural materials and colors and a focus on connections to nature create calming environments, reinforcing biophilic connections to trees, sky, and water, improving occupant wellbeing and delight.

Rebecca Baibak
Principal
Matthew Sullivan

Johnny Hong

Julie Taylor

TJ Hoving

Morgan Wiese

Ian Kane

Sarah Pranoto

| LPD Engineering | | Civil

| Metrix Engineers | | Mechanical

| Wood Harbinger | | Electrical

| Weisman Design Group | | Landscape

| The Robinson Group | | Cost Estimating