November 3, 2021

Mass timber Lakeview Office Building complete

Photos by LMN Architects [enlarge]

The building combines mass timber, glass, weathered steel panel cladding and concrete in the below-grade garage.

[enlarge]

The design opens up the building to views of Lake Washington.

Kirkland's first large scale mass timber office building, the Lakeview Office Building, is complete. The 46,000-square-foot building at 5501 Lakeview Drive is the first large-scale mass timber office building east of greater Seattle. LMN is the architect. According to a press release by LMN, the building “celebrates the use of wood and construction innovation.”

The Lakeview Office Building has been designed with sustainability at the forefront. The project features wood in signature spaces, a generous living roof, two levels of office space, and two levels of underground parking. The property looks out on Lake Washington and the Olympic Mountains. Two first-floor outdoor spaces and a roof-top common room with a deck take advantage of the views.

In a press release, Pamela Trevithick, partner, LMN Architects, comments: “Working in close collaboration with our client at Cascade Management, and our team of consultants, we set out to design and build the first large-scale mass timber office development in Kirkland. The building not only meets modern sustainability standards, but also creates a new sense of place in the neighborhood and celebrates the use of wood. Despite the challenges intrinsic in the construction and delivery of a project during a global pandemic, the building was delivered on time and on budget.”

Inside the two-story building wood takes center stage. Interiors showcase the exposed wood structure. SPF Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT) ceilings contrast with Douglas Fir Glulam beams and pay tribute to the forests of the region. The mass timber panels were constructed with raw materials sourced from Pacific Northwest trees. The structural floor and roof panels are prefabricated DLT panels. The panels were manufactured with hardwood dowels instead of glue, and their all-wood composition makes them sustainable and ideal for improved air quality and comfort.

In addition to all the wood, the building has an all-glass curtainwall exterior with operable windows that opens the space up to views of the lake and activity in the neighborhood. The north and east facade is accentuated with textured punched windows and metal panels.

In the same press release, John Chau, partner, LMN Architects, comments:

“The Lakeview Office Building demonstrates our commitment to innovation, research and sustainability. The design of the building was informed by the contemporary demands of a sustainable modern office building, the nature around the site, and our curiosity for construction innovation. Collaborating with HEWITT on the living roof, and with Sierra Construction, StructureCraft and Coughlin Porter Lundeen on the mass timber structure has been rewarding and we are very proud of what we have accomplished together with Cascade Management.”

The protect includes significant landscaping by Hewitt. The main entry to the building, along Lakeview Drive, is flanked by an immersive shade garden and fern gully. A specialty-formed concrete wall and metal wall system lead to a custom-designed granite water feature at the main entry. At the south of the building there is wood seating and a deck nestled into a garden. The buildings heavily planted living roof, rain gardens, and terraces have been designed to mitigate water run-off. There is a roof deck and terrace with seating for gathering and relaxation.

Walt Busch, structural associate, Coughlin Porter Lundeen, comments: “Coordinating the mass timber design of a project of this scale with the design team and the owner was a formidable experience, and the creative opportunities were not confined to the timber design. Incorporating the intensively planted roof as the concrete structure was completing construction and integrating the cascading bioretention planters with the landscape design was also challenging and gratifying.”

Gerald Epp Jr., business development engineer, StructureCraft, comments: “All of the mass timber components were engineered and fabricated offsite as a kit-of-parts. This not only promoted safety and quality with most of the work being done in a controlled shop environment, but also facilitated rapid erection on site. The warm aesthetic and biophilic environment of exposed timber construction is inspiring developers and building owners in Washington and across North America to use it in their next commercial development.”

The project team includes: Structural and Civil Engineer: Coughlin Porter Lundeen, Inc., Landscape Architect: Hewitt Architects, Lighting Design: Fisher Marantz Stone, MEP Engineer: Rushing, Co., General Contractor: Sierra Construction, Timber Fabricator & Installer: StructureCraft, Envelope: Morrison Hershfield, Signage: Studio Matthews, Commissioning: Glumac.

Robinhood will be the new occupant of the space.