Lea Vance Office Building
This Project is for the re-habilitation of an enchanting 1920’s era terra cotta clad commercial building and includes bringing the structure and it’s systems into the 21st Century and re-integrating it into a portion of downtown Seattle currently experiencing a renaissance as the commercial core of the city continues to expand northward while the South Lake Union district to the north encroaches southward.
The site and building footprint is 60 feet by 120 feet for a 7,200 sq. ft. floor plate on three existing floors and a basement. The commercial structure at the northeast corner of Virginia and Seventh Avenue features a reinforced concrete perimeter with heavy timber postt and beam internal framing which will be sandblasted and left exposed along with exposed mechanical ducting and electrical conduits. New low-e glazing, windows and storefront are specified throughout while new steel and glass canopies project over sidewalks along street frontages.
A new main entry, vestibule and lobby are located at the southeast corner of the structure along Virginia Street. A new passenger elevator, service core and exit stair complement the lobby on each floor. The design includes a 6,000 sq. ft. office penthouse addition with generous roof terraces to capture views of the city and integral planters to provide greenery to soften the urban setting while providing structural support of the existing masonry parapet. The penthouse is setback from the building perimeter for visual relief and a rotunda element at the corner of Virginia and Seventh Street echoes a similar element at the residential high-rise across the street.
Design was completed in 2003.
