Also known as 35 Stone, this five-story office building is the cultural center of Evo sports campus and home to Brooks Running, hosting outdoor sports and culture visitors from around the world.
The building rose to the City of Seattle’s Living Building Challenge (LBC) by creating a project design that aims to reduce energy use and embodied carbon by at least 25% compared to a typical office building, anchored by a primary structural system of Dowel-Laminated Timber (DLT). Incorporating key Living Building Challenge (LBC) elements—such as clerestory windows, a 250,000-gallon rainwater cistern, rooftop beehives, and a 100-kVA solar array—the building qualified for an additional 15 feet in height, and an increase in FAR. Early concept design coordination was critical, as multiple structural options were evaluated to balance carbon sequestration, cost, and complex programming requirements.
The building leverages the strength of a DLT floor system with a glulam structural frame that honors the region’s historic timber industry. Unlike nail-laminated timber and cross-laminated timber panels, DLT uses hardwood dowels, not glue or nails, to panelize wood members. This process better aligns with the Living Building Pilot material requirements and decreased construction time.
Close collaboration with the project team ensured the successful delivery of an intricate architectural vision featuring exposed timber elements that are both visually striking and structurally efficient. Our team led creative delivery efforts, partnering with the manufacturer to implement early cost input on connection design during schematic design and to co-design the honeycombed entry vestibule during construction administration.
Photos by Built Work Photography