SAAS Cardinal Union Building exterior during the day
K-12 Education

SAAS Cardinal Union Building

Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences (SAAS)

|

Seattle, WA

HIGHLIGHTS
  • New 5-story building serves as the home for SAAS's middle school program
  • Rooftop playfield and second gym maximize student activity space
  • Makers space, music classroom, and student commons integrated
  • Strategically connected to adjacent campus buildings
  • Awarded a 2021 AIA Interior Architecture Award for design excellence
Project size

77K SF

Completion date

2018

Sustainability

LEED Gold

Challenge

SAAS needed to consolidate its middle school program into a single facility that could support academics, athletics, arts, and student life while maximizing a constrained urban campus. The project required seamless integration with adjacent buildings, accommodation of specialized spaces including a gymnasium and rooftop playfield, and careful planning to support future campus growth. Entitlement, infrastructure, circulation, and stakeholder coordination were key factors in unlocking the full potential of the site.

Solution

We led overall planning, design, and construction management for the CUB as part of SAAS’ Rising Campaign. Our team coordinated campus planning, entitlement strategy, permitting, contractor selection, budgeting, scheduling, and project delivery to align the new facility with the school’s long-term growth objectives. Design and construction efforts focused on integrating classrooms, specialty learning spaces, athletics, and student commons within a cohesive campus experience, while careful coordination of utilities, circulation, accessibility, and future building connections established a framework for continued campus development.

Outcome & Impact

The completed CUB allows SAAS to bring middle school programs previously spread across rented neighborhood spaces back onto a unified campus. Academic, athletic, and student life functions are now integrated within a modern facility designed for collaboration and flexibility. New recreation and gathering spaces enhance the daily student experience while strengthening campus connectivity. Our client received a long-term academic and community asset positioned to support future campus expansion.

Services Provided

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Project Sector

K-12 Education
Sector
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K-12 Education

We serve as trusted advisors to independent schools, guiding projects from planning through delivery. Our expertise spans campus master planning, capital planning, facilities assessments, and project management, helping schools align investments with their mission while delivering projects on active campuses.

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Project Partners

LMN

Architect

GLY

General Contractor

Our Work

Explore our Seattle Academy of Arts & Sciences (SAAS) Projects

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"Seneca Group has been supporting us through multiple projcts spanning more than 20 years. Their guidance, expertise and support have been critical to our ability to fully devleop our urban campus. They are a trusted partner and have helped us translate our vision for SAAS into reality."

Rob Phillips - Co-Head of School - SAAS

News

SAAS starts $48M middle school

March 8, 2017

News Articles, Project Milestones, Team Announcements
$48M SAAS Middle School is ‘a new front door’

June 4, 2019

News Articles, Project Milestones
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