A warehouse repurposed for events and trucks

Located in a 1953 unreinforced masonry building formerly used for manufacturing, this multipurpose event and garage space honors existing historic conditions while making discrete new interventions that bring the building into the future. The project embraces an ethos of adaptive re-use that acknowledges the structural and material complexities of the space—namely, that it shares a structural party wall with the adjacent business—while implementing compicated structural stabilization and energy code upgrades that allow it to function for today’s users.

Beyond essential upgrades, the design also adds a new mezzanine level and a penthouse bar and deck at roof level. Maintained as thin as possible to meet minimum ceiling height code requirements, the mezzanine establishes two intimate spaces within the larger volume of the building: a dining area on the ground floor, and a lounge area above. Inserting a new skylight helps draw daylight down into the back of the building, illuminating a full commercial kitchen designed to serve 225-person events. A set of two stairways connects all three levels, as does a new elevator and bathroom core. New material insertions of metal siding, silver-painted plywood skylight frames, and steel stairs and railings complement the original industrial materiality of the building.

Seattle, WA,
Completed 2023
Project Team: Robert Hutchison, Scott Claassen, Jackie Hensy, Sean Morgan, Xiaoxi Jiao