Marpac Construction
Tashiro Kaplan Building
Owner: Artspace Projects Inc.
Architect:Stickney Murphy Romine Architects
Nearly a century after construction of the original Tashiro and Kaplan buildings at Third Avenue South and South Washington Street in Seattle, Marpac Construction has helped the residential loft structures realize their full potential.
Built to three stories in 1908, the Kaplan Building was designed to accommodate an additional tower at a later date. With the economic downturn of the Great Depression, the building — like many others built in that era — was never expanded.
Marpac added three stories to the top of the Kaplan Building and renovated the Tashiro Building to create a single structure known as the Tashiro Kaplan Building. The combined building offers more than 100,000 square feet of light-filled artist loft space.
Large steel brace frames weighing more than 3,200 pounds each were installed on the three lower floors to support the three new floors of loft space. Historical stucco beams and columns were preserved to comply with strict design requirements of the Pioneer Square Historic Preservation Board.
Original wood storefronts underwent restoration and replication, maintaining the large areas needed for galleries and arts-related businesses. The storefronts were modernized with concrete curb, double-pane glazing, an accessible entry and modern waterproofing. The original 8-by-8-foot wood pivot windows had to be replicated and outfitted with double-pane glass. To handle the added weight of the new glass, historical bronze pivot window hardware from the East Coast was installed.
More than 41,000 labor-hours of work were completed with no medical or time-loss injuries.
Coughlin Porter Lundeen was the engineer. ABC members on the job included DeBolte Plumbing and Heating, Puget Sound Masonry and Restoration, Armorclad Floors and Andgar Corp.