Seattle Public Schools

Projects

Aki Kurose

Aki Kurose Middle School Addition and Modernization Project

About the project

This is a project to demolish 25,000 square feet of the existing school and construct a new approximately 65,000-square-foot classroom wing, and to also modernize 145,000 square feet of the existing school. The result will be permanent space for up to 1,000 student in grades 6-8. The expanded and modernized building will have secure points of entry and will be contextually appropriate and respectful of the surrounding neighborhood.

Funding is included in the Building Excellence V Capital Levy (BEX V) to develop the designs for the project. Funding for the addition and modernization will require voter approval of the next capital levy, Building Excellence VI (BEX VI).

Timeline

construction phase graphic showing that the school is in the Schematic Design phase
Learn what happens during these phases
  • Predesign phase: Complete
  • Schematic design phase: In process.
  • Design development phase: Estimated start October 2024
  • Construction documents and permitting phase: Estimated start Spring 2025 (pending voter approval of capital levy in February 2025)
  • Bid and award phase: Estimated start Winter 2026 (pending voter approval of capital levy in February 2025)
  • Construction phase: Estimated start Summer 2026 (pending voter approval of capital levy in February 2025)
  • Estimated project completion: Summer 2028 (pending voter approval of capital levy in February 2025)
  • Estimated occupancy: Fall 2028 (pending voter approval of capital levy in February 2025)

Frequently Asked Questions

The school opened in 1952 as Casper W. Sharples Junior High. The anticipated scope includes removing the portables and modernizing most of the existing building. By modernizing and constructing an addition, the school will be reconfigured to better align with the current middle school educational specifications.

The project will include:

  • Structural upgrades to improve earthquake resistance.
  • Replacement of all windows, doors, and roofing, renovation of interior and exterior finishes.
  • Replacement of plumbing, heating, fire alarm, technology, and electrical systems.

The amount of daylight and temperatures in classrooms will be improved. Sustainable features will be incorporated to meet district goals for clean energy and renewable resources. These include geothermal wells for heating and photovoltaic panels (solar panels) to generate electricity.

Approximately 25,000 square feet of the existing building in the northwest corner will be demolished to make room for a 2- or 3-story classroom addition. The addition will be approximately 65,000 square feet. Including the addition, permanent space will be provided for up to 1,000 students in grades 6-8. The site will also be red

How is the project funded?

The Building Excellence V Capital Levy (BEX VI), approved by voters in February 2019, included money to pay for the initial phase of design. Funds for the following phases, including construction, will be subject to voter approval in February 2025.

SPS conducted a master plan review to determine if the existing Aki Kurose MS building could be modernized. It was originally designed to be a junior high school, so it was determined it can readily be reconfigured to meet the district’s middle school educational specifications. Evaluations showed that the building is well-built, is in good condition, and that it can be updated to current building codes. Renovation was preferred over replacement to be consistent with the Seattle School Board’s policies* to optimize resource conservation.

* The School Board has adopted resolutions and policies committing to long-range sustainability actions, including the Climate Change Resolution, the Green Resolution, Policy 6810 Natural Resource Conservation, a 100% clean energy by 2040 plan. That resolution includes the following language: “Reuse: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from district purchases of goods and materials (including construction and demolition waste) through reuse”. When analysis indicates an existing building can be reconfigured to meet current educational specifications, renovation rather than replacement is preferred because it is consistent with the Board’s policies to optimize resource conservation.

  • November 2023–June 2024: School Design Advisory Team and community engagement input

Completing the following phases requires voter approval in February 2025

  • June 2024–November 2025: Architectural Design
  • March 2024–July 2025: Environmental Review
  • August 2025–July 2026: Permitting
  • June 2026–August 2028: Students, teachers, and school staff move offsite
  • July 2026–June 2028: Construction
  • September 2028: Aki Kurose campus reopens

Students will attend school at the Van Asselt School interim site. Van Asselt was expanded with a classroom addition and a middle-school sized gym, to accommodate up to 1,000 middle school students as of 2023. Aki Kurose Middle School will be at the Van Asselt School interim site from September 2026–June 2028.

The risks involved in demolishing and constructing buildings around students, as well as the inevitable disruptions to learning means it’s better to move students to an interim site when one is available. A recent example is Asa Mercer International Middle School, which is currently occupying the Van Asselt School interim site during construction the new Mercer building.

Two recent school replacement projects had students remain on site during construction: Rainier Beach High School and James Baldwin Elementary (formerly Northgate Elementary School).

For Rainier Beach, there was no alternative site large enough to operate a high school. In addition, the Rainier Beach school site is over 21 acres, which allowed phased demolition and construction of the new building while students occupied other portions of the site.

With James Baldwin, two elementary schools in the same region were being rebuilt at the same time. One school (Viewlands Elementary School) moved to the interim site at John Marshall School. James Baldwin Elementary School was able to be rebuilt while students remained in the old building because the playfield was big enough to build on without removing the old Northgate Elementary School Building.

As Aki Kurose has one of the smallest middle school sites in the district, it would be too difficult to provide enough space for the contractor to work while retaining enough building to conduct programs. There would be significant impacts and disruptions (air quality, noise, power, water, parking, safe walkways, etc.) as portions of the building get demolished. With a renovation, utilities are replaced from the ground up, meaning entire plumbing, heating and lighting systems are replaced. Keeping portions of a school operational would be nearly impossible for this project.


School Design Advisory Team (SDAT)

Seattle Public Schools created the School Design Advisory Team (SDAT) process to allow each school community to have input into renovation of or construction of their school building. This process provides a means of integrating a school’s vision and educational goals into the design within the structure of the district Educational Specifications (Ed Specs). The result is refinement of the Ed Specs to create school-specific designs that support each school’s educational goals. School leadership, teachers, staff, parents, students, and community members participate in the SDAT through a series of workshops.

Aki Kurose SDAT Members

Aki Kurose Middle School

  • Caine Lowery
  • Wendy Miller
  • Maggie O’Sullivan
  • David Nelson
  • Susie Clark
  • Mike Browne
  • Qing Wenes
  • Shannon Lindsey
  • Kim Coats
  • Katrina Hunt
  • Dr. Dedy Fauntleroy

Aki Kurose Middle School parents

  • Kalayaan Domingo
  • Siengkham Douangdala

Aki Kurose Middle School student

  • Rene Rivas Domingo

Project Management Team

  • Vince Gonzales, Sr. Project Manager
  • Brad Tong
  • Cheri Hendricks
  • Kim Fong
  • Jerome Hunter

Design Team

  • Amy Vanderhorst
  • Sara Wilder
  • Parfait Bassale
  • Matthew Bissen
  • Matthew Sullivan
  • Bridgette Tinsley
  • Theo Pinceloup

SDAT Workshop Summaries

SDAT 1: February 8, 2024

Welcome

  • Land acknowledgement

Welcome and Introductions

  • Reflection on “Graham Street,” a poem by Leija Farr
  • Aki Kurose school community awareness

Engagement Commitment

  • Roots of our engagement work
  • Stakeholder and community engagement plan

Project Influences

  • What shapes the project?
  • Budget, scope, schedule update

Team and Project Commitment and Values

  • Proposed SDAT schedule

Next Steps

  • SDAT 2
  • Reach out to your networks, photo safari
  • Starting the Aki SDAT process by listening to participants and sharing what shapes the project.
  • Forming a team with an understanding of the Aki community and its shared values.
  • Introduction to the Stakeholder & Community Engagement Plan, including upcoming engagement opportunities.
  • Sharing team commitments and project values that will help guide our work together as well as the design of Aki.

SDAT 2: March 14, 2024

Welcome

  • Land acknowledgement

Reflect and Report Back

  • Review of SDAT 1
  • Key outstanding questions from SDAT 1
  • Neighborhood and School engagement summary
  • SDAT members sharing feedback from their networks

Black Space Manifesto

  • Principles that resonate
  • Research, share, and reflect to inform design

Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP)

  • Culturally responsive social emotional supports
  • Creating opportunities for meaningful conversations and collaborative learning
  • Culturally responsive strategies that support belonging and relationships

Photo Safari Review

Next Steps

  • SDAT 3 virtual tours
  • Optional in-person tours
  • Photo safari 2
  • Feedback from recent engagement events and upcoming opportunities; report backs from SDAT member networks
  • The Black Space Manifesto and how it can inform our work on the project
  • The CSIP and how it can be applied to the project moving forward
  • Photo safari images indicating exemplary places and how they shape the Aki Kurose community identity

SDAT 3: March 21, 2024

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement

Reflect and Report Backs

  • Review of SDAT 2
  • Neighborhood and School Engagement Summary
  • SDAT members sharing of feedback from their networks

Black Space Manifesto

  • Further reflection since last time
  • Principles that participants are bringing with intention to the meeting today

Discussion

  • How do you hope to feel walking into the new Aki Kurose?
  • Responses from prompts paired with images to represent the words

School Tours

  • Virtual Meadowdale Middle School, Islander Middle School
  • Recap of in-person tours — James Baldwin Elementary School, Lincoln High School

Next Steps

  • SDAT 4
  • In-persons tour two south middle schools
  • Feedback from recent engagement events and upcoming opportunities, report backs from SDAT member networks
  • Further reflection on the Black Space Manifesto and how it can inform our work on the project. Black Space Manifesto link: Black Space Manifesto
  • How community feedback regarding the hopes for the Aki project can be associated with images and architectural elements
  • Building a visual vocabulary and understanding the relationships toward design priorities.

SDAT 4: April 4, 2024

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement

Reflect and Report Backs

  • Review of SDAT 3
  • Black Space Manifesto centering
  • Neighborhood and school engagement summary, project contacts, and links
  • SDAT members sharing feedback from their networks

Design Goals

  • SDAT framework: where we are and remaining meetings
  • Discussion of compiled stakeholder feedback: “What we are hearing”
  • SPS design principles
  • Small group discussion of project-specific design goals

School Tours

  • Recap of in-person tours: Surprise Lake Middle School and Glacier Middle School

Site Opportunities

  • Workshop overall site opportunities

Next Steps

  • SDAT #5
  • Feedback from recent engagement events and upcoming opportunities; report backs from SDAT member networks
  • Further reflection on the Black Space Manifesto and how it can inform our work on the project — Black Space Manifesto link: Black Space Manifesto
  • Feedback on design goals; project team to prepare draft for next meeting
  • Introduction to site opportunities at Aki Kurose

SDAT 5: April 26, 2024

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement

Reflect and Reports Back

  • Review of SDAT 4
  • Black Space Manifesto Centering
  • Neighborhood and School Engagement summary, project contacts and links
  • SDAT members share feedback from their networks

Design Goals Refinement

  • SDAT framework — Where we are and remaining meetings
  • SPS design goals
  • Edits, discussion of Aki Kurose design goals
  • SPS Educational Specifications overview

Concepts

  • Workshop 3 concepts for overall building and site organization
  • Discuss relative to design goals and priorities

Next Steps

  • SDAT 6
  • Feedback from recent engagement events and upcoming opportunities, reports back from SDAT member network
  • Further reflection on the Black Space Manifesto and how it can inform our work on the project — Black Space Manifesto link: Black Space Manifesto
  • Refinement of design goals
  • Introduction of three concepts for project
    • Unifying Climb: Stair in commons and skybridge across courtyard to connect academic neighborhoods
    • New Connections: New entry with connection to commons, and commons/gymnasium connection
    • Graham Central: Student functions move to central east/west spine along Graham Street, academic neighborhoods all on second floor
  • Feedback on elements of concepts to move forward with; eliminated Graham Central from further study

SDAT 6: May 16, 2024

Welcome and Land Acknowledgement

Reflect and Reports Back

  • Review of SDAT #5
  • Black Space Manifesto Centering
  • Neighborhood and School Engagement summary, project contacts, and links
  • SDAT members share feedback from their nextworks

Design Goals, Concepts

  • SDAT Frameword — where we are and remaining meetings
  • Aki Kurose Design Goals (refinements made)
  • Review of Concepts, including plan layouts, models, and views
    • Concept 1 — Unifying Climb: Stairs in commons and skybridge across courtyard to connect academic neighborhoods.
    • Concept 2 — New Connections: New entry with connection to commons, gym/commons connection

Next Steps

  • SDAT &
  • Feedback from recent engagement events and upcoming opportunities, reports back from SDAT member nextworks.
  • Further reflection on the Black Space Manifesto and how it can information our work on the project. Black Space Manifesto
  • Concept evaluation to develop priorities; design team to develop one concept for SDAT 7.
    • Priorities included: New entry, commons/courtyard/gym connections from New Connections concept and enclosed courtyard addition from Unifying Climb concept.

Project Planning Updates

Progress updates are posted for the previous month.

Major activity in July 2024

  • Continued planning outreach meetings to bring a broader swath of the Aki Kurose community into the design process — meetings to restart in August.
  • Completed selection of the general contractor/project management (GCCM) firm and began collaboration with the design team.
  • Began the Schematic Design Phase.

Major activity in June 2024

  • Continued outreach meetings to bring a broader swath of the Aki Kurose community into the design process.
  • Presented refined design concept for the “Unifying Climb” scheme that would minimize parking in the northwest corner to prioritize outdoor learning and a connection to nature.
  • Presented three Academic Neighborhood options for the SDAT group to review. The SDAT agreed that the option in which the Science Labs shown back-to-back with a shared Prep space (within the Academic Neighborhood) is the most appropriate for sharing lab resources (and storage space) and academic collaboration with General study.
  • Conducted Eco Charette with SPS Capital Projects, Capital Planning, and Facilities, and AE Project team. 

Community Cafés

These theme-based discussions with staff, families, and community members were facilitated by the project team.

Complete

Community Cafe 1:  Theme — Family Engagement, March 14

Community Cafe 2:  Theme — Community Engagement, March 28

Community Cafe 3:  Theme — Supporting Students, April 18

Project Team

Construction Management Firm: Shiels Obletz Johnsen, Inc. (SOJ)

SOJ Construction Manager: Brad Tong, bradt@sojsea.com

Project Design: Integrus Architectecture

General Contractor/Construction Management: Lydig Construction

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