The project is still $800,000 over budget, as architects, school officials finalize designs.

Through months of winnowing, architects of the new high school wing strove to create more than just a traditional, static building. They wanted a living, breathing, adaptable facility that could meet a variety of needs over time.

Natural lighting and ventilation. A self-regulating temperature. Rooms that can both absorb and enhance sound.

Work began with broad strokes. Now, with walls, windows and walkways already well-entrenched in the design, discussion has moved toward the details that will define the finer experiences of those who will use the building on a day-to-day basis.

How will foot traffic flow? Through which doors will people most likely enter? And how might the more mischievous students respond to all that glass?

All were questions that guided designers throughout the process. But only recently, as the project has solidified, have the answers become clearer.

And though many details remain unresolved, the room was mostly filled with approving smiles at Thursday’s board meeting as designers unveiled their most refined vision yet.

“It’s gorgeous,” said school board President Bruce Weiland, after he and his fellow board members took a virtual, three-dimensional tour – via a laptop and projection screen – of the school’s new 200 building. “It’s really very impressive. I feel like we’re looking inside the United Nations building instead of a school.”

Breezy thoroughfares and glassy facades define the two-story, 70,000-square-foot building, which will be built where the single-story “200 building” now stands.

It will include classroom space, administration and student services as well as the new library and commons.

The project – estimated at $20.85 million – will go to bid next spring, with construction scheduled to begin next summer. Before that can happen, the project team must reduce costs by $810,772 to meet budget.

Designers in August cut about 40 elements of the design to save $3.55 million, with paring left to be done. Still, the board unanimously approved the latest effort, knowing that several scenarios could absorb much of the overruns.

Among those scenarios is a $560,000 grant – word about which is expected to arrive in the next few weeks – for which the district applied to help with the cost. The project also will soon undergo a second “value engineering” assessment, during which an independent design panel will make suggestions about ways to save money.

The next major milestone will be a conditional use permit meeting on Nov. 16. There the city will review the plans, including the ever-contentious parking situation.

The design team – consisting of Mahlum Architects of Seattle and district employees led by Capital Projects Director Tamela VanWinkle – expressed concern about how rising construction costs will affect the project.

For Thursday, though, the focus was on specifics. Discussion bounced through topics ranging from accessibility to lunch lines to the “look and feel” of the building. Some colors and materials remain undetermined, but other aesthetics are largely in place.

Designers made a concerted effort to make the building feel integrated as a whole, rather than isolating different areas for different uses.

That explains the prevalence of glass and the openness of the hallways. Students strolling the halls on the building’s second floor will be able to see into classrooms and over the railing to the first floor below.

Looking outward, they will see panoramic views of mountains and the Seattle skyline.

Some, including Weiland, wondered how that openness would impact the learning environment. He wondered if students would be distracted by noise or people passing by classrooms.

Opinions varied, but designers said research from other schools suggests the importance of finding a balance between spaces that are too open and those that are too secluded.

Ultimately, Weiland was happy with the balance.

“The sophistication of the design just bowls me over,” he said. “I just think they’ve thought everything out so deeply.”