The Bertschi School
Seattle, Washington

The Bertschi School offers a creative and inspirational campus for children ages 4 through 12 in a collection of urban buildings, including three houses, a church and a parish house. A playground provides an active center to the school grounds, and renovated buildings provide intimate and unique learning spaces. The campus is secured with an eclectic mix of fencing that minimizes attention to security measures, and artist-made gate welcomes students and parents to the campus. Students were instrumental in designing the classroom addition. The project implements their idea of connecting the second floor classroom to the ground via a play structure.