Project Description
A two-story glass curtain wall topped with a wood-accented awning creates a striking exterior for the Excelsior Programs at Washougal High School. Sitting atop a hill, the new 11,300-square-foot building provides additional learning and meeting space for the district.
Light and heat streaming in the south-facing curtain wall and other large windows are detected by sensors that automatically adjust the lighting and temperature in the building. The building’s largest room is a commons area with exposed laminated wooden beams and tongue-and-groove wooden decking lining the tall ceiling.
Off the commons is a café island. A glass barn door opens into the instructional kitchen outfitted with commercial appliances.
The building, designed for 90 students in nontraditional learning programs, also includes a large science classroom, two general classrooms, small meeting spaces, and a covered outdoor classroom space with a greenhouse. A mezzanine houses the HVAC system.
The close proximity of the building project next to Washougal High School afforded a learning opportunity for students. Todd Construction hosted art, woodworking and design classes to at the site to them about the construction process.
The new building with its technological advances, is a huge improvement over the aging doublewide trailers that housed the district’s programs for non-traditional learners for the previous 15 years.
Severe winter weather temporarily slowed progress on the building but crews hustled to make up for lost time and brought the building to its completion on schedule.
To meet the district’s budget, some components of the building were simplified while still meeting the school district’s expectations.
