One of our longest-running community partnerships entered a new phase, with the design and construction of a new expansion at Estelita’s Library! Over the course of 2022, students and volunteers made major headway on a second building for Estelita’s Library – a two-room unit to house a restroom and a serious amount of extra storage for books and other needs. We are thankful for Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods, and King County Parks and Recreation for helping drive this project.

Through rain or shine, the foundation was dug and poured, with a floor and ceiling in place and all four exterior walls up with window and door access cut in. Toward the end of 2022, subcontractors from Wesnor Plumbing, Veritas Electrical, and Gardner Roofing hooked up power and water for the expansion, and weather-proofed the building to sit through the winter. Volunteers from DPR Construction and B N Builders helped us pour footings and lay out joists for the entry deck this February, and we’ll get back to work with students again in spring ’23 – installing interior drywall and tiling, exterior siding (donated by Reider Facades to match the original structure) and decking to connect to the original structure.

[Cover photo credited to: Adam Hunter, LMN Architects]