Colman School
Architect: DKA
Engineer: Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Owner: Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
ABC members: Adept Mechanical Services, Custom Sprinkler, Fuller Electric, Heiberg Inc., Kodo Construction, Nuprecon, Propel Insurance
Rafn Co. joined an enthusiastic project team in rehabilitating the Central Area's Colman School into affordable housing and community space.
Built in 1909, the school had fallen into disrepair and sat vacant and boarded up since 1985. The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle bought the building and began plans for revitalizing it into 36 affordable apartments in 33,000 square feet of space, and transforming the ground floor into the 18,000-square-foot Northwest African American Museum.
The building's designation as a city landmark created several challenges, including bringing the building up to code while balancing preservation issues and managing the building's physical constraints.
The city's energy code mandated installing double-glazed windows, but the building's historic designation required maintaining the existing single-glazed windows. To preserve the landmark status of the building, while maximizing energy efficiency, Rafn preserved 250 of the existing windows, some of them 10 feet tall, and installed indoor storm windows for additional insulation. The team also preserved more than 15 exterior doors, while blackboards and original millwork were salvaged for reuse by the Urban League.
In upgrading the building, Rafn demolished a damaged section of a 45-foot brick wall and added a CMU wall for structural support, enabling the repaired brick wall to be laminated against it. The team also completed extensive terra-cotta repairs and detailing, as well as $1.5 million in seismic upgrades, including installation of more than 9,000 epoxy bolts.
The finished apartments have 14-foot-high ceilings, exposed brick walls and refurbished wood window frames.
Rafn coordinated with the Seattle Parks Department to use its excess fill material at the Colman site. Both a bioswale and rain garden on the site provided an eco-friendly approach to stormwater runoff.
There were only two medical-only injuries during the 29,186 hours worked.