Weber + Thompson's New Headquarters to Be Among the West Coast's Most Energy-Efficient Buildings
Groundbreaking Symbolic of Firm's Growing Presence
SEATTLE — Feb. 9, 2007 — Weber + Thompson, a full-service architecture, interior design and planning firm, broke ground on its new office headquarters, a highly energy-efficient building.
The $10.2 million project in the South Lake Union neighborhood will be Seattle's first major new office building in decades to feature passive cooling. Instead of air conditioning, the 40,000-square-foot building will be cooled naturally through a number of design strategies including operable windows.
"Before the start of schematic design, we asked our staff what they most wanted in their work environment," said Scott Thompson, AIA, a founding principal at Weber + Thompson. "Operable windows and fresh air were at the top of the list."
The four-story square building wraps around a central courtyard with floor plates 35 feet wide. This design promotes cross ventilation and natural day lighting. On warm days, hot air will collect in the courtyard and rise. This is a building where the users will actively participate in the temperature comfort levels of their workplace, much like they do at home.
In addition, exterior shading devices will help keep occupants cool by protecting them from excessive solar heat gains. Windows on the building's east and west sides will have high-performance shades — or sunglasses, as the architects call them — to filter out heat. In addition, the roof will be coated with a light-colored compound that will reflect heat upward. The design team estimates that the building will use 30 percent less energy than a traditional office building with air conditioning.
"Extensive thermal modeling concluded that there will only be 18ᆨ hours a year when the temperature will climb above 80 degrees. That's a number we can work with," Thompson said.
The new Weber + Thompson headquarters will include other green features. The design emphasizes daylighting with a shallow floor plate that allows light to penetrate from both the exterior and the open-air courtyard. All workstations will be located near windows to take advantage of the natural light, improving the quality of the working environment and reducing the need for artificial lighting and, by extension, energy consumption.
The building will be warmed by hydronic heating, or hot-water radiators. The highly efficient radiators will be placed along exterior walls and will allow for individual temperature control. To maintain air quality, automated louvers in the exterior walls will connect to carbon dioxide sensors in the interior spaces and open to circulate fresh air when needed.
It is anticipated that the building will earn Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Core and Shell certification. The U.S. Green Building Council develops LEED standards and certifies buildings.
Construction of the building at the northeast corner of Thomas Street and Terry Avenue North begins as Weber + Thompson celebrates its 20th anniversary as a dynamic design practice. The new building is one of several important changes that the growing company will announce in the coming year.
Weber + Thompson team members have played leading roles in planning and designing the project, which is symbolic of the firm's increasing stature as one of the West Coast's leaders in sustainable architecture, design and planning.
"This new headquarters is a major milestone for us," said Thompson, one of the Northwest's leading authorities on urban infill projects. He predicts that the new building will become a model for future sustainable development.
"Our new headquarters will allow us to demonstrate our commitment to sustainable design, while giving us room to grow as a company," Thompson said. Weber + Thompson have grown from 40 employees in 2001 to 94 today. Of the firm's employees, 25 are LEED-Accredited Professionals.
"Our firm is expanding, and our growth has outpaced our current leased space," said Thompson. "Several years ago, we began exploring our options and, after careful analysis, we concluded that participating in the design and development of our own office building was the right thing to do not only from an economic standpoint but from a sense of creating a place, a community."
Weber + Thompson will occupy 25,000 square feet in the new building, and Weber Marketing will occupy 6,000 square feet. The two companies are not related. First Western Development is the developer of the project. Commercial real estate broker Stephen C. Grey of Stephen C. Grey & Associates put the deal together and is leasing the rest of the space. Rafn Company is the general contractor for the building.
Project Team
Owner and Developer: First Western Development
- Mike Hess
- Scott Shanks
- Dale Pinney
Architecture
- Scott Thompson, AIA
- Peter David Greaves, AIA
- Gabe Hanson
- Elzbieta Zielinska, LEED AP
General Contractor: Rafn Company
Mechanical Engineering: Stantec Consulting
Civil Engineering: DCI Engineers
Structural Engineering: DCI Engineers
Office Leasing: Stephen C. Grey of Stephen C. Grey & Associates
About Weber + Thompson
Seattle-based Weber + Thompson is a full-service, West Coast design firm specializing in architecture, interior design and planning. The award-winning company has an experienced staff of 94 design and construction professionals. Since 1987, Weber + Thompson has developed a diverse practice with projects that include master-planned communities, high-rises, high-density urban infill, residential, hospitality, senior housing and commercial office projects. Weber + Thompson seeks effective results through a thoughtful and collaborative design process.
For more information, please visit www.weberthompson.com
or contact Weber + Thompson at 206 - 344 - 5700
or info@weberthompson.com.