The New Bertschi Center
Throughout Bertschi’s history, the urban campus has grown to meet the
needs of our educational program through prudent deliberation and good
design. The plan for developing the property on the south end of the
campus was the result of extensive conversations, thought, and hard work
by the Bertschi staff, Board of Trustees, and the extended community. The new building
provides needed spaces to support Bertschi’s outstanding academic and
co-curricular programs including additional space for art, music, and
physical education, as well as outdoor play areas.
The Bertschi Center
is the first LEED gold
certified building on an
independent school campus, not only in Seattle, but the Pacific Northwest
region. Designed by The Miller Hull Partnership, an award winning northwest firm, the Bertschi Center incorporates lots of natural light and interesting materials - elements the firm is known for.
The architect and contractor worked with Bertschi students to share information about the
construction process as the building took shape. Many of the sustainable
features of the building and its systems are explained and made available
to the children as part of the curriculum through a touch screen monitor located in the art gallery. A cut-away display in the wall illustrates some of the "green" elements normally hidden within the wall cavity.
A rainwater collection system stores roof runoff in large galvanized
steel cisterns, which have become playful forms in the play areas. One
of the cisterns provides water for the children to water their gardens.
Solar panels displayed as tree-like elements are part of a renewable
energy system, a weather station on the roof correlates daily conditions
with energy use and production, and a green roof covers the entry walkway.
A
conscious effort was made to choose building and site materials that
are sustainable and have the lowest long-term impact on the environment.
Wherever possible, rapidly renewable materials were used including wool
carpeting, cotton batt insulation, cork, wheatboard wall panels and cabinetry,
and a bamboo gym floor. For other building components, products with
recycled content were sought out.
The Bertschi Center offers visible teaching
tools for educating our students about issues surrounding the scarcity
of resources and alternative energy sources. Many more curriculum "launching
points" emanate from the physical presence of the new building.
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Our
mission: