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The path to construction of a new Sifton Elementary School in Vancouver, Washington, actually started with a massive fire.

That 2013 blaze may have destroyed Crestline Elementary School, but the process to replace the building led Evergreen Public Schools officials to select a prototype by LSW Architects. The new school opened barely 18 months later and featured a design that could be used in the future.

Fast-forward to 2018, when voters approved a $695 million capital bond measure 鈥� a sizable amount of it for six new elementary schools. Naturally, officials referred to the Crestline project when beginning the new ones, including Sifton.

鈥淚t was great because we already had the prototypical design,鈥� said Gail Spolar, communications director for the school district.

Pence Construction is serving as the construction manager and general contractor for the Sifton project, which was designed by LSW Architects. Also, R&C Management Group is handling project management duties.

The original Sifton Elementary School, at 7301 N.E. 137th Ave., was built in 1958 as a single-story structure largely with a slab-on-grade foundation and concrete masonry unit (CMU) walls. The replacement structure, with a different footprint on the same property, will feature wood framing over a slab-on-grade foundation. Exposed glulam beams will be used for both practical and aesthetic reasons.

鈥淭here are not a lot of exotics in the design itself,鈥� R&C Management Group project manager Dan Bodell said. 鈥淭here are some design concepts that are more about the teaching methods, but as far as the structure itself we have a one-story gym with administrative on the front and then a two-story classroom wing and the nice views of (Mount Hood).鈥�

Although the Crestline design was the basis for the new Sifton facility, improvements have been made, according to Sue Steinbrenner, Evergreen Public Schools’ director of facilities.

鈥淥ur other prototype really had the media (center) self-contained within its own room,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o we put the libraries here front and center so you have to walk through it, which is ironically how a lot of our buildings from the 1970s are.

鈥淚t’s about being sensitive to noise issues and having spaces for the students to break out and choose how to interact,鈥� she added. 鈥淭he other big difference is splitting the commons from the gym so we can use the gym for after-hours activities and close down the academic wing and make it more about the community partnership.鈥�

The new Sifton school will have a capacity of 550 students. A single-story wing will hold the gymnasium and administrative space, along with the media center and commons. A learning stair in the commons area will serve as the bridge to the two-story classroom wing. Outside, a playground area and a soccer field will be built.

The district’s bond program calls for construction to take place through 2025. Currently, three new elementary schools are being built: replacements for Sifton and Image, and a completely new one not yet named.

One advantage of using the same design prototype on those projects, Bodell said, is that representatives of the three general contractors involved 鈥� Pence Construction, Emerick Construction and Triplett Wellman Contractors 鈥� are meeting regularly to discuss progress and go over any possible hiccups.

鈥淪ifton is a month ahead of the other two and these guys have the most learning curve,鈥� Bodell said. 鈥淏ut they can pass that information on to others. We’re pretty happy 鈥� from the R&C standpoint, there’s been great support from the district.鈥�

All three schools under construction are scheduled for delivery in time for the start of the 2020-21 school year.