Korsmo served as general contractor/construction manager for the renovation of the historical Russell T. Joy Building, the first building in Tacoma or on any University of Washington campus to achieve a LEED platinum rating for new construction and major renovations.

Photo courtesy of Korsmo Construction Timber from UWT’s Russell T. Joy Building was salvaged and reused when the 120-year-old building was renovated.

The 47,000-square-foot, three-story building was originally expected to achieve LEED gold, but by incorporating additional sustainable strategies and materials and detailed LEED point tracking, the project was awarded LEED platinum.

One of the many factors elevating the project to platinum was the reuse of materials. Much of the existing timber was salvaged, milled and finished to become some of the architectural features of the new building.

The antique elevator motor and hoistway equipment were salvaged, restored and mounted near the new elevator to replicate the original machinery configuration as an artistic feature and reference to the history of the building.

Rainwater from the roof will be filtered through exterior planters before going back into the city storm drain, reducing stormwater runoff.