BOYLSTON GARAGE

Location:  Seattle, Washington
Type:  Commercial
Sustainability: Adaptive Reuse

Originally built as part of Seattle’s ‘Auto Row’ along the Pike-Pine corridor, Boylston Garage is an adaptive reuse of a former automotive garage done with the purpose of excavating and restoring the building’s historic character, while selectively and tastefully upgrading it for a new phase of life. Many neighboring buildings of it’s era have been gutted and replaced, some leaving only the original facade behind. Much of the original construction of the brick and heavy timber structure survived behind decades of renovation and modification, providing the opportunity to rediscover and celebrate the existing character both inside and out, while adding the modern touches needed to provide an authentic but contemporary creative work space that sits beautifully in the fabric of the vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The building consists of nearly 15,000 square feet of open office space across three levels. New storefront windows and entry doors set into the existing brick façade connect the ground level to Boylston Ave. The primary entry vestibule at the southeast corner of the site is located at the original vehicle entry & ramp. A small lobby space provides access to the stair and to the elevator via an accessible ramp up to the main level with 14-foot-high ceilings exposing the original 3-foot-deep heavy timber beams and nail-laminated deck above. The most conspicuous intervention is the addition of large steel seismic braces at the interior along the East and West walls, extending the life of the building for many years to come. A second entry opens directly into the main level, with a third at the Northeast corner entering an additional enclosed stair.

At the upper level, the attic floor was removed to reveal 8-foot-tall timber trusses within an 18-foot-high space. Skylights, boarded up long ago to give way to low-maintenance artificial lighting, have been restored and additional skylights added, bathing this level in openness and natural light. The lower level is highlighted by 12-foot-high ceilings & unique exposed column assemblies, with the office oriented to take advantage of natural light along the West façade.

To bring the building up to current energy code requirements, much of the interior brick had to be insulated and covered, but pilasters along the East wall are left featured and exposed. Light fixtures are strategically integrated to compliment the daylighting and celebrate the raw materials throughout. Modern updates and finishes are thoughtfully detailed and applied with a clean palette of materials to create a comfortable, contemporary office space that rests beautifully in a historic frame.

Photography:  Lara Swimmer
Contractor: Dovetail
Structural Engineering: SSF
Civil Engineer: LPD Engineering
Geotechnical Engineers: PanGEO Inc.
Structural Testing: Mayers Testing Engineers, Inc.
Energy: Ecotope Inc.
Envelope: 4EA Engineering
Lighting Designer: SparkLab