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Reimagining Historic Schools for Future Learners
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Date/Time: November 7, 2026 | 9:00 – 10:00 am
Room: TAHOMA 3
Abstract: Across the United States, school districts are increasingly choosing to modernize aging school facilities rather than replace them. Rising construction costs, climate commitments, and the cultural value of historic campuses are shifting the conversation from demolition to adaptation. Reusing existing school buildings preserves community heritage while also retaining the embodied carbon already invested in these structures, making modernization an increasingly important climate strategy.
Yet many historic school buildings were designed for educational models that prioritized efficiency, standardization, and teacher-centered instruction. Organized around classroom grids, long corridors, and tightly programmed spaces, these buildings reflect pedagogical assumptions from another era.
Today’s educational practices are evolving toward more collaborative, learner-centered models that emphasize agency, interdisciplinary learning, and student well-being. This creates a fundamental tension: how can buildings designed for a different model of education support contemporary learning?
This panel brings together school district leadership, school principal, and architects from multiple firms to explore the common themes emerging as landmark school buildings are modernized across elementary, middle, and high school settings. Rather than focusing on individual projects, the discussion highlights shared challenges and opportunities encountered across the district.
Panelists will discuss how historic schools embody earlier educational assumptions—rigid classroom layouts, hierarchical spatial organization, and limited adaptability—and how modernization efforts reinterpret these structures to support contemporary learning. The conversation will also address the broader systems shaping these projects, including preservation requirements, district policies, operational practices, and climate goals.
Participants will gain insight into replicable strategies for transforming historic schools into environments that support modern learning while preserving their architectural and cultural significance. By aligning educational practices, community values, and the physical building, historic schools can evolve to support future generations of learners while remaining vital civic anchors within their communities.
Learning Objectives:
Design of Educational Facilities
Aligning Educational & Community vision with design to support a regenerative mindset for a sustainable and future-ready Educational Facility.
Richard is Seattle Public Schools’ Executive Director of Capital Projects, Planning, and Facilities Operations, a role that includes development and oversight for the district’s multi-million-dollar capital levies. He emphasizes creating schools that are contextually appropriate and respectful of their surrounding neighborhood and incorporate energy conservation measures through the implementation of passive strategies and then active systems — while remaining laser-focused on the district’s mission to position all students for academic success.
Julia is the principal of Montlake Elementary, a well-loved neighborhood school grounded in the arts and environmental education. A highlight of her eight years of leadership was guiding the community through the design and rebuild of its historic 100‑year‑old campus, which reopened in 2025. She took joy in nurturing a collaborative process that elevated student, staff, and family voices alongside district and design partners, resulting in a beautiful, functional space reflecting shared community values.
Corrie co-leads Mahlum’s K-12 practice and works with school clients to better understand the technical and organizational issues affecting education and the needs of learners. Her expertise in educational facilities design and technical strategies has been honed over 25 years of practice. She is committed to using design to transform aging facilities into inspiring, high-performance learning environments, working with care to honor the historic fabric while advancing student-centered learning.
Laura is a Principal at Miller Hayashi Architects where she leads education and historic renovation projects. She brings a passion for the design of learning spaces that balance operational needs and contemporary learning environments within existing buildings. Laura is a graduate of the University of Washington College of Built Environments and the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
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Seattle Convention Center
705 Pike Street
Seattle, WA 98101
November 4-7, 2026
Email: donna@a4le.org
+1 480.391.0840