“The inspiration for NorthEdge came from the adjacent Gasworks Park,” said Kay Kornovich, principal and managing director of the Seattle office of Perkins+Will.
“As former home to the city’s municipal gas works, the park today contains much of its original 1900s machinery. The rustic and modern materials selected for NorthEdge harmonizes with materials found at the park to celebrate the area’s industrial past.”
Perkins+Will’s design approach focuses on a single four-story building with stepped forms and natural coloration to enhance and transform a site that, until recently, was a derelict and contaminated brownfield.
The building is organized around a 38-foot wide central outdoor court comprised of a series of small roof terraces and walkways that step down the site toward the lake. Developed on a challenging 60-foot terrace, Perkins+Will’s design strategically stacks all four floors of the building along the grade to take advantage of nearby views. The lobby creates a multi-story link that is highly transparent to frame views for pedestrians who also have access to a public roof terrace.
The building is designed to achieve LEED-Silver by the U.S. Green Building Council. The construction phase included substantial water conservation and clean up to improve water quality in the near and long-term.
Photo credits: Lara Swimmer