The Terry Thomas architects office awarded AIA/COTE Top Ten Green Project
The Terry Thomas was designed to provide a healthy and creative work environment that would illustrate the possibilities of sustainable design and was chosen as an AIA Committee on the Environment Top Ten Green Project for 2009. The project was driven by a future tenant who needed a new office space to accommodate a rapidly expanding architectural practice. The firm wanted to remain in the same neighborhood where it had operated for seventeen years, yet in a building that would exemplify commitment to sustainable design.
The Terry Thomas is located in Seattle's up-and-coming South Lake Union neighborhood, adjacent to Downtown. The building has 37,000 sq ft of office space on four floors, with shower facilities to encourage bicycle use. The ground level features 3,000 sq ft of retail and restaurant space, and a central courtyard that provides a gathering space. Parking for cars and bicycles is available on two levels of an underground garage. An architectural firm, a marketing firm, and a real estate firm occupy the office space in the building.
The project team began the design process by conducting a survey among the staff of the primary tenants about their priorities for their new workspace. The most frequently requested features were daylighting, natural ventilation, and improved community meeting spaces. The designers responded by creating a holistic design concept tailored to its specific site and made daylight, ventilation, and reinforced community connections a priority.
As both the designers and inhabitants of The Terry Thomas, the occupants now enjoy the benefits of strong natural and cultural connections while simultaneously increasing their productivity potential. In the process, they have created an experimental and educational tool for promoting sustainable design.
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