Ballard High School
Seattle, Washington
This 240,000 SF high school houses 1,445 students and is the first new high school built in Seattle School District No. 1 within the last 36 years.
At the time of construction, Ballard High School featured leading-edge technological infrastructure. Each classroom was wired for 30 computers, with 100 miles of wiring connecting the 1,500 outlets to the T1 Internet connection. The design elements of the building were a combination of old and new. The main entrance lobby was a wall of glass with exposed metal girders giving it a contemporary feel, while the copper plates on the brick exterior and the wave-like concrete pattern below the brick were reminiscent of the 84-year-old building it replaced.
The 500-seat auditorium has a state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, and there are six windowed, soundproof closet-sized booths in the Music Department that mimic the acoustics of a performance hall.