Seattle Public Schools proudly marked the opening of the newly rebuilt Mercer International Middle School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by students, faculty, district officials, and neighbors. The new campus, designed by Bassetti Architects, a Design Studio of HMC Architects, sits on the site of the previous school and features a large 174,000 square feet of built space. The three-story school is the new home to approximately 1,000 sixth and seventh-graders.

The distinctive design features angled timber columns, exposed to interior spaces, and encased in large two-story glass facades when viewed from outside. Beyond its natural aesthetic, this mass timber structural solution is energy-efficient and has a lower embodied carbon footprint than a steel frame option. Additional sustainable elements of this project include a ground loop heat pump system, daylighting strategies, a durable brick façade, and low VOC materials. These sustainable design features help the district meet its goals for clean energy and renewable resources.

Classrooms are organized by academic neighborhoods, adjacent to flexible support spaces that promote a sense of community and support academic success for all students. The large student commons space is a central element of the interior plan, featuring a gathering staircase and a stage. The school’s footprint has been reoriented and is surrounded by landscaping and outdoor learning spaces—a key concept of the site design was to bring topography and native trees and plants back to the site, making it reminiscent of the original landscape of Beacon Hill. Additional site features include a synthetic turf practice field, a new, secure entry that welcomes students, families, and the community with a clearly defined “front door” to the school.

An extensive stakeholder engagement process guided the design process, involving students, teachers, staff, community members, and the design team, which helped to establish guiding principles, design ideas, and sustainability goals.

The new $152 million Mercer MS was funded by the Building Excellence V Capital Levy, approved by Seattle voters in 2019 to replace and modernize eight district school campuses. Mercer International Middle School’s ribbon-cutting ceremony marked more than the unveiling of a new facility—it celebrated the vibrant community that brings it to life. New building, same heart.

Mercer International Middle School’s ribbon-cutting ceremony marked more than the unveiling of a new facility—it celebrated the vibrant community that brings it to life. New building, same heart.