FAQ

The Bassetti Architects design will reinstall the stained-glass pirate artwork at the same height, just inside the north entrance door, above a second set of security doors. This placement will be more visible to everyone who enters or exits the north doors. It will also be visible from the commons walkway, which leads to and from the north entrance. Natural light from both sides will illuminate the stained glass.

The artwork will be preserved and will become a focal point at the main historical entrance. 

Highline High School students will attend school for two years at the Olympic Interim site (from fall 2019 through spring 2021). The rebuilt Highline High School will open for students fall 2021.

It sounds simple, but it wasn't. We would have loved to recycle the bricks and provide a memento for alumni. Our environmental consultant, however, advised us not to give away bricks. We were required to dispose of all masonry waste at a properly permitted acceptance facility because of the presence of heavy metals.

Testing detected heavy metals in the mortar--originally used by masons to make the mortar last longer. Our environmental consultant advised that trained personnel would need to remove the mortar from each brick prior to giving them away, which would be difficult, time consuming and very expensive. 

We recognize the value of historic preservation, and ideally, we would have preserved in place at least a portion of the HHS façade. Our contractor, Skanska believed that the risk of failure actually increases for a shorter section. Skanska Vice President Rob Robinson explained that the length of the brick wall would have a stabilizing effect. Removing portions of the wall on either side of the entry panel leaves it with less support.

The expense and the risk were due to the type of construction as well as the soil conditions on the site. The facade was a one-brick-thick veneer on a wood frame. Brick buildings that lend themselves to preservation are multiple layers of masonry attached to concrete. With solid masonry, the brick is holding up the building; with brick veneer, the wood building is holding up the brick. When the wood frame is removed, a brick wall becomes extremely fragile and prone to collapse.

It would have been possible to stabilize the brick wall with steel beams, pour a new foundation below it, and build a wall to support the bricks. However, this would have been expensive, putting the project several million dollars over budget. Skanska advised that even with these measures there was a significant risk that the brick wall could collapse during construction, wasting taxpayer dollars. This would have increased the project cost even more, as we would then have needed to build a new wall at an additional cost.

Skanska and the architectural firm on the project, Bassetti Architects, both have extensive experience preserving historic buildings. Based on soil testing, existing facade construction, masonry testing, cost analysis and a taxpayer-funded budget, both recommended rebuilding with a design that honors the original. We are confident this was the right decision based on the determination of experts and stewardship of limited taxpayer dollars.

• We valued the historic significance of Highline High School to our community and remain committed to retaining the look of the original building as we rebuild the school.
   
• After contractors evaluated the construction of the wall and the soil conditions, they concluded that it was not financially feasible to attempt to shore up the wall and keep it intact.
   
  • Unlike other buildings of the same era or earlier constructed of solid masonry, the north wall of HHS was brick veneer (one brick thick) on a wood frame structure.
     
  • It would have cost up to $15 million to reinforce the wall with pilings and install a new foundation. There is a significant risk the wall would have collapsed in the process, and the $15 million investment would have been wasted.
     
• The project team recommended that, instead of attempting to keep the wall intact, we honor the look of the original building by recreating key portions of the facade, using salvaged materials as much as possible.
   
  • While this will not be a technical replication, it will retain key parts of the façade and reflect the historical look of the original building.
     
  • Design options were presented to the design review committee (students, staff, families and community members) for feedback, and then to the public.

Our technical team (architects, structural engineer, and other contractors) determined that, based on the conditions of the soil and the masonry, there was a significant risk the north wall would collapse during the structural reinforcement process.  The masonry was veneer (one brick thick) installed on a wood structure, which would be extremely fragile during construction. Attempting to preserve the wall was estimated to cost up to $15 million because it would need to be encapsulated and then supported on deep shoring piers. If the wall did not survive the construction process, that money would have been wasted. Our architects, general contractor and project staff agreed that this option was not financially feasible even if there was no risk of failure.

The existing Highline High School includes a wood shop; there is not an auto shop. Planning for the new school includes a new wood shop; it does not include an auto shop. Juniors and seniors with an interest in auto body or automotive technology are encouraged to find out more about programs hosted at the Puget Sound Skills Center in Burien.