The T.J. Vassar ’68 Center for Sciences and Humanities is in the final stages of construction, on the south side of Lakeside’s Upper School Campus. The estimated $60 million project took shape in the fall of 2024 and is now wrapping up less than 2 years after BnB Builders, a popular contractor based in downtown Seattle, first broke ground.
Walking inside the new Vassar Center feels like no other Lakeside building. The front glass facade allows plenty of natural light to enter the atrium. When Tatler toured the building back in early November, it was without power, with installation forthcoming at the time; notwithstanding the lack of electricity, in the midday sun, every classroom was clearly lit, thanks to the surplus of windows around the perimeter of the building. “I can’t wait for our community to experience what it is like to be together learning in the Vassar Center. The spacious classrooms, copious amounts of light, and dedicated spaces for being in community with each other in and out of the classroom will help enrich the experience of teachers and students alike,” Upper School Director Mr. Boccuzzi tells the Tatler.
The atrium is the main attraction of this building, given the amount of community space it provides. At a glance, the staircase is the most prominent, but an upcoming lion painting on the main wall just to the left threatens to draw the eyes away from the glass-railed staircase. The lion painting will, to most people’s surprise, not be made by students; instead, an external professional design team will complete the mural before the grand opening. Upper School Director Mr. Boccuzzi noted that he’d rather have the large (currently vacant) white wall adjacent to the stairs be filled with the lion art before the opening.
The building’s layout is consistent across both floors, with classrooms lining the perimeter, hallways on both the east and west sides, and faculty offices in between. Unlike the other buildings at Lakeside, this is the first to have two all gender restrooms, one on each floor. The restroom (left) is arranged with gender neutral stalls on one side and the sink on the other. For the most part, students’ reactions to having two gender-neutral restrooms are not favorable.
The downstairs of the Vassar Center is filled with physics and biology classrooms, while the upstairs is home to a chemistry lab and many English classrooms, which line the western side of the 2nd floor. Unlike Allen-Gates, the new science classrooms are designed differently, with no rows of desks, but rather a square counter with the teacher inside. This will make it possible for more labs and additional ways for the Science Department to expand its curriculum.
The Vassar Center marks the first new building on Lakeside’s Upper School campus in nearly 40 years. The last major construction project was completed in 2012, with the retrofitting of the Allen Athletics Center. The aging Moore Hall, a former dormitory and, most recently, home to all English Classrooms and the Communications Department offices, will most likely be transformed into additional offices, another student center, and possibly another counseling center.
Inside Allen-Gates Hall, the first floor is aging — not as fast as Moore Hall, but the science department definitely thinks it’s time for a change. Dr. Parry, US Science Department Head, notes, “The new Vassar Center will offer the space necessary to accommodate the science department’s growing laboratory and operational needs.” Speculation is also growing over what will fill the five classrooms on the first floor of Allen-Gates. Mr. Boccuzzi mentioned that there’s a chance a new engineering elective will be offered, taught in the current science classrooms inside Allen-Gates. A “makerspace” could also be added, which would complement the current one at the middle school. But if the engineering elective were to take shape, this would offer even more science electives for Lakesiders, already attending the #1 STEM school in Washington. It would bring a whole new curriculum to the school, benefiting students who aspire to become engineers or to pursue it in college. If done, Mr. Boccuzzi notes Lakeside would have to hire at least one new teacher.
The T.J. Vassar ‘68 Center for Sciences and Humanities will house some of Lakeside’s core academic subjects and marks the Upper School’s first newly constructed building in nearly 40 years. It is also expected to be the final building added to the existing campus, with future development focused on renovating current classrooms over the coming decades. This project represents a pivotal moment in Lakeside’s more than a century-long history, honoring the legacy of Seattle’s renowned educator and Lakeside alum T.J. Vassar. The “Vassar Center” is expected to be finished in late January. Mr. Boccuzzi remains optimistic about a move-in before the end of the school year.
