Lincoln High School

With an educational legacy spanning more than 100 years, Lincoln High School is Seattle’s oldest existing high school. Recently upgraded for 21st century learning, the high school retains its historic character and existing footprint while creating a modern, high-performance, award-winning environment for more than 1,600 students in grades 9-12.

When Seattle Public Schools needed to add a new high school to respond to the district’s growing enrollment, it committed to renovating the existing facility rather than building new. Preserving the traditional appearance of both the original four-story masonry exterior and the large, operable windows was essential for upholding Lincoln High School’s status as a Seattle Historic Preservation Landmark.

Combining historically appropriate styling and energy-efficient performance, Kolbe Windows & Doors provided nearly 600 windows for the school’s future-focused transformation.

To bring the district’s vision to life, Seattle Public Schools relied on Bassetti Architects and Lydig Construction with input from a dedicated School Design Advisory Team and trusted building partners. Bassetti blended the landmark building’s classic architectural style with contemporary design elements, forging a unified whole.

“To the greatest extent possible, Kolbe matched the original windows in operation, profile, lite pattern and finish.”

Seattle Public Schools’ goals for the Lincoln High modernization project were to have “a safe, comprehensive high school that honored the historic landmark, while supporting multiple teaching modalities, universal access and a connected campus,” according to Bassetti Architects.

After generations of use, the school had become an aging, disjointed structure. Significant additions were constructed in 1914 to the north, in 1930 to the south and in 1958 to the east, and dozens of renovations were implemented over the decades. Faced with declining enrollment and an 80-year-old structure, Lincoln High had closed in 1981. Reopening again in 1998, various community and school groups leased interim space within the portions of the building.

In 2017, the district approved plans to rehabilitate the facility and to reopen as a comprehensive high school. The district acknowledged that the multiple users, haphazard remodels and deferred maintenance had left the building in “very poor condition.”

With thoughtful planning and practical execution, the three structures built before 1930 were entirely transformed over three years, opening as planned for the 2019-20 school year. Renovation of the 1950’s addition continued through 2022 and included enclosing the previously open breezeway between the east and west structures.

“We brought it up to modern standards, and the windows preserve the school’s historic character.”

Lydig Construction was selected as the general contractor/construction manager and began contributing to the project during the design-development phase. “We were able to work side-by-side with Bassetti to determine the most effective way to execute the concept and meet the requirements,” said Patrick McGlothlin, senior project manager with Lydig Construction, who oversaw construction on Lincoln High School.

“The initial intent was to reuse or restore the existing windows,” said McGlothlin. Instead, the district and project team determined there was greater value in replacing the rotting and rusted windows with new, custom-crafted double hung windows and push-out casements from Kolbe Windows & Doors.

These Kolbe Ultra Series windows feature extruded aluminum cladding on the exterior and pine wood interiors. Kolbe crafted a custom exterior profile finished in a white color to replicate the original windows. Using high-performance architectural coatings, the durable, finished metal helps reduce maintenance costs and labor over time. A wood-wrapped jamb-liner, performance divided lites in a three-over-one grid pattern, beveled glazing bead, beveled interior bar profile, and white hardware complete the intended presentation.

“Kolbe’s windows passed the historic review for this landmarked building,” continued McGlothlin. “To the greatest extent possible, Kolbe matched the original windows in operation, profile, lite pattern and finish.”

McGlothlin remembers when construction began on the historic property: “it had not been functioning as a high school for some time. Even the most recent renovations had been completed decades earlier.”

To move forward effectively and efficiently, McGlothlin said, “We totally gutted it, taking it back to its structural elements. Once we finished the demolition, we could see the existing conditions and what we had to deal with.”

In addition to the building team’s expertise, the landmark nomination report from 2015 offered reference material in understanding the historic windows in context and chronicling the numerous renovations on Lincoln High. For example, the description for the 1906 schoolhouse detailed: “Typical windows are grouped and spaced 17 inches apart with continuous terra cotta sills under each group at the upper three floors, and a stone sill at the basement level. At the second floor each group of windows is outlined by a rectangular terra cotta hood or label mold, with a label stop at each end.”

To confirm Kolbe Ultra Series windows met the actual conditions and the project’s requirements for aesthetic, performance and installation, Kolbe Gallery Seattle assisted with a full-scale mock-up. McGlothlin noted this was a key step in ensuring the project’s success. “We removed one window first and installed Kolbe’s new window to confirm the exact look and figure out the installation process. It was a huge help, for sure,” he said. “Only minor tweaks were needed to match the exact rough openings.”

“There were close to 600 individual windows on the facility,” estimated McGlothlin. “Other than the sheer quantity of windows, it was happily a rather unremarkable installation. We had to pick our starting point and go forward.”

Beginning on the west side of the school, the window replacement and installation moved forward continuously. McGlothlin said, “The goal was about 10 windows a day with a six- to eight-person crew. Working around the campus’ 100-year-old beech trees, the site conditions could get a little congested, but everything went smoothly. There were no issues with the windows. We have not heard anything after our work was complete, which is a good sign.”

Beyond preserving the school’s historic appearance, the Lincoln High School modernization project also needed to be brought up to date with current building codes and educational methods plus the Washington Sustainable School Protocol (WSSP).

The 257,257-square-foot school’s total renovation supported both a new teacher-facilitated 21st century learning model and flexible student-centered spaces with six learning communities surrounding a central common area. Room configurations and functionality were revised, such as turning former study halls into a fitness center and a makerspace, and converting the original auditorium to a new state-of-the-art library. Below the library, the former gymnasium was transformed into large classrooms, labs, breakout areas and teacher planning spaces. The old boiler rooms were reimagined as the new commons area that defines the “heart of the school” with a secure indoor-outdoor connection to a courtyard.

Additional safety issues were addressed to provide secured, accessible entrances and important seismic upgrades. Approved, alternative methods for stabilization and flashing were employed to preserve the interior and exterior brick and to retain historic views. New LED lighting, as well as mechanical, electrical and HVAC systems were installed.

Contributing to the school’s improved sustainability and energy efficiency, the new Kolbe Ultra Series windows created a tighter building envelope and delivered better thermal performance. Lincoln High’s design and building team specified Kolbe’s windows with low-e, double-glazed insulated glass units.

Kolbe’s windows and their glazing manage unwanted solar heat gain and glare, contributing to a more comfortable learning and teaching environment. The double hung and push-out casements allow seasonal opportunities for natural ventilation, further supporting interior comfort, wellness and passive cooling.

Research shows that students in classrooms with natural light and fresh air perform better academically, and their teachers report greater job satisfaction. Access to daylight, outdoor views and indoor air quality also contribute to healthier learning environments and lower absenteeism. These benefits are recognized and rewarded by green building and wellness-focused programs, such as U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system and the Collaborative for High-Performance Schools (CHPS) green building protocol.

WSSP was modeled after CHPS and adapted to reflect characteristics that optimize high performance in Washington schools. As a result of prioritizing sustainable strategies, materials and systems for Lincoln High, the project achieved six out of six possible points.

The school district also shared that the Life Cycle Assessment for renovating and modernizing Lincoln High showed a 65% reduction of embodied carbon compared to a complete replacement. This is almost 80% less than the Carbon Leadership Forum’s baseline for schools. This reduction can equal 20 years or more of operational carbon impacts.

According to Seattle Public Schools, the upgraded building envelope featuring Kolbe’s windows, combined with mechanical and electrical updates, resulted in an energy use intensity (EUI) factor of 35, which is 54% below the AIA 2030 Commitment baseline. This indicates the building’s annual energy use per square foot is performing equal to or better than a newly constructed building despite being a historic renovation.

“The project as a whole was really cool to be a part of and to see through to completion,” added McGlothlin. “We brought it up to modern standards, and the windows preserve the school’s historic character.”

“The result is light and welcoming, and the views beyond connect the old fabric with the new,” described Bassetti Architects. “The delightful stylistic nuances of Lincoln provide neighborhood identity and speak to the cultural continuum that links us to our predecessors.”

The new Lincoln High School embodies the Guiding Principles established by the district and its School Design Advisory Team. The key tenets were to provide program adaptability, community and indoor-outdoor connections, aesthetics with historical context, safety in a calm and productive space, collaboration, sustainability supported by long-term flexibility and a long lifespan, and a learner-centered environment that is welcoming, accessible and inclusive.

Recognizing the school’s achievements, Lincoln High School’s redesign and renovation have earned many accolades:

• American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle, 2020 Honor Awards for Washington Architecture, Award of Merit
• Association for Learning Environments (A4LE), 2020 Polished Apple Merit Award
• Engineering News Record, ENR Northwest, 2020 K-12 Education Best Project Award
• Historic Seattle, 2020 Beth Chave Best Rehabilitation Award
• Learning by Design, 2020 Grand Prize, Renovation/Adaptive Reuse/Restoration

“Historic schools are important landmarks that represent civic investments and inspire community pride and public participation,” stated Seattle Public Schools’ A4LE award entry. “They are the neighborhood schools you can walk to. The revitalization of schools like Lincoln enliven their surroundings and serve as community anchors. Lincoln is now a hub for the people who live and work in the Wallingford neighborhood, as well as for those who teach and learn there.”

While these awards are greatly appreciated, the school’s greatest honor to date likely was in celebrating the Class of 2022 as the first students in 41 years to graduate from Lincoln High School. As part of the graduating class, Liam Stevenson shared his enthusiasm for the A4LE award, saying, “I love the new building. It has all of the great features of a modern high school, while preserving the eclectic elements that make Lincoln unique.”