Through its design and pedagogy, Helen Keller Elementary
School seeks to instill its 320 K-5 students with Helen
Keller’s voracity for learning and curiosity with the world
around her. Inherent to Keller’s design is the school’s cultural
heart and mission statement: Growth, Respect, Integrity,
and Perseverance - traits of its namesake’s character
that the school aspires to pass on to its students. Just
as the sensation of water fi nally engaged Keller with her
surroundings, tactile artwork, sign language instructions,
and oversized Braille dots in common areas and on exterior
planters encourage students to read, touch, and interact
with their surroundings. Keller’s inspirational quotes fl ank
students’ paths to classrooms wings, each with identifying
themes that challenge students to be thoughtful citizens
in their school and community.
Sited in a residential area and thoughtfully placed on
the site, Keller’s exterior expression complements the
surrounding context. A large canopy at the main entrance
reaches towards the neighborhood, inviting students,
parents, and neighbors into the community “living room”
- a vibrant, light-fi lled space that serves as a meeting
place for parent and school bus entries. The library was
strategically perched on the second-story above the living
room, providing vistas to the neighboring Edith Multan
Park and visibility to the activity below.
Organized by grade level, four “learning settings” composed
of classrooms clustered around shared instructional areas
facilitate individualized attention and enhance studentteacher
relationships. Identical access and transparency
between classrooms and the shared area allow teacher
supervision, while wireless technology, modular furniture,
tackable surfaces and fl exible partitions support multiple
programs and group sizes. Operable glazing walls
between the commons, living room, and science/art
classroom create a multi-use commons space appropriate
for a variety of school and community functions. Bright
colors and large graphics bring fun and depth to durable
materials. Critical in the planning process with the school
district, Keller’s sustainable design strategies create a
healthy place for children to learn and grow: a highperformance
building envelope system, extensive use of
glazing and skylights, a displacement ventilation system,
a mechanical heat recovery system via heat exchanger, a
50KW rooftop photovoltaic array, and site preservation
and water management strategies, including preservation
and relocation of existing trees and maintenance of
wetland buff er.
A warm and welcoming building that achieves a cheerful
human scale for students and the surrounding residents,
the school aims to inspire and support students as well as
its community of parents, staff , and neighbors.
Owner
LAKE WASHINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
Owner’s Consultant
HEERY INTERNATIONAL
Architect
BLRB ARCHITECTS
Civil Engineer
AHBL, INC.
Structural Engineer
PCS STRUCTURAL SOLUTIONS
Hardware Consultant
ADAMS CONSULTING & ESTIMATING
Kitchen/Food Service
HALLIDAY ASSOCIATES, INC.
Mech / Electrical Engineer
BCE ENGINEERS
Landscape Architect
THOMAS V. RENGSTORF AND ASSOCIATES
Cost Estimator
RIDER LEVETT BUCHNALL
Signage Consultant
STUDIO SC
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