August 18, 2025

Montlake Elementary is ready to reopen — with recess on the roof

Photo courtesy of Skanska [enlarge]

Refreshed and ready for students this fall, Montlake Elementary now features a play area on the roof.

Work is done on the 90,500-square-foot modernization and expansion of the historic Montlake Elementary School for Seattle Public Schools.

Located on a tight 2-acre footprint at 2409 22nd Ave. E. in the Montlake neighborhood, the project involved the modernization of the landmark two-story, 16,500-square-foot schoolhouse and the addition of a new three-story, 74,000-square-foot building. The new building houses the gym, cafeteria, kitchen, administration spaces, classrooms and library.

The $65 million project was funded by the Building Excellence V Capital Levy, approved by Seattle voters in 2019.

Skanska is the general contractor for the project, which was designed by DLR Group.

Designers were challenged with creating more of a connection for students with the outdoors. But with only a scant two acres to work with, they needed to get creative, so a rooftop play area was added atop the new gym. There's also a central play courtyard that provides direct connection to garden terraces, and a second-floor learning and play terrace that connects to the classrooms in the new building.

The original schoolhouse was built in 1924 and landmarked by the city in 2015. Historic elements of the building needed to be maintained, including interior woodwork and cabinetry, stairs and window frames, and the overall exterior character of the building.

To keep with the character of the neighborhood and the scale of the historic building, the new building was set slightly back into the site. This allowed for the height of both rooflines to align.

“I cannot think of a more complex construction project because of the limited site size and location of the school within a single-family residential neighborhood,” said Richard Best, director of Capital Projects for Seattle Public Schools. “The final product delivered is of outstanding quality and will serve the district for another 100 years.”

Several sustainable solutions were added to the school, such as advanced energy management systems and controls, solar panels and heat pumps.

There's a new entry plaza, located on the northeast side of the addition, which is more accessible and offers a single, secured entry point for visitors.

“It's challenging but immensely rewarding to work on a special project like this, when we not only get to execute a brilliant design, but also where we get to work on such an iconic landmark while always being mindful of a tight footprint in a residential neighborhood. It really brings out our best,” said Lew Guerrette, executive vice president and general manager, Skanska USA Building in Seattle. “We are very proud to have been a part of the Montlake Elementary School campus that students, teachers, administrators, parents and community members will soon see, and we are eager to hear what they think of it as they get to explore it this fall.”

For the past two school years, Montlake students attended classes at John Marshall School. They are set to return to the newly refreshed school this fall, with room for up to 500 students in grades K-5. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for 2 p.m. on Sept. 2.

And speaking of Montlake students: Paul Wight, who served as the capital projects manager for the project for SPS, is said to be an alumnus of school.

The project team included Osborn Consulting, landscape architect; LPD Engineering, civil engineer; Metrix Engineers, mechanical engineer; Hargis Engineers, electrical engineer and telecom; BET&R, envelope consultant; the Greenbusch Group, acoustical engineer; and Halliday Associates, food service.