With one of the strongest economic climates in the nation, Seattle is enjoying a downtown rejuvenation led by Nordstrom, Nike, Planet Hollywood and FAO Schwarz, to name just a few. They have all committed to becoming part of a lively retail community in the heart of the city.
With these stores underway and a string of other major retailers vying for the remaining available space, not only is Seattle securing the promise of a thriving retail district, but the activity is creating a significant amount of business for local developers, engineers, contractors and architects.
These groups are charged with the task of creating a downtown retail environment that is attractive to consumers and offers advantages over the suburban supermalls that have become increasingly popular for their convenience and variety.
In creating this environment, there are several emerging design trends that are changing the face and feel of downtown retail.
To lure suburban consumers to downtown retail, design teams need to address many issues, such as access, visibility, parking, traffic congestion and pedestrian amenities. A sense of rhythm must be created at the street level, areas bustling with restaurants, cafes, retail stores and everyday stores. Gaps created by block-long parking lots and vacant buildings can quickly break the spirit of a retail area.
With this in mind, design teams have used the stores' identity, merchandise and services to create the shopping experience. For Banana
Republic, the large open spaces and remnants of the Coliseum Theater reflect the classic image of its clothing line. For FAO Schwarz, a huge copper teddy bear that greets customers. For REI, a mountainous, 60-foot rock climbing wall will be the landmark in its new flagship store.
Design teams are also hoping that the design and atmosphere of the store will become part of the experience and attract consumers downtown. From the street level, design elements such as large display windows and built-in espresso carts can draw shoppers into retail destinations.
From the inside, large, open spaces have become an increasingly popular feature over the past five years. Retailers have found that atriums create a lively, active environment, while also attracting patrons to the upper levels of the store.
The use of atriums in retail space has created structural challenges for some downtown retailers whose stores are located in mixed-use buildings. Because the structural systems for the office portion of a building can be radically different than those in large, open spaces, structural engineers must think innovatively and find creative solutions to link the two systems together.
In addition to the challenges design teams face in trying to increase the number of shoppers coming into downtown Seattle, retail construction usually means a tight building schedule for all parties involved.
Ask any retailer the best time to open a store and the answer you'll hear is "right before Thanksgiving," the time when many retailers can earn two-thirds or more of their profits for the year. This often means setting the completion date first and planning the remainder of the construction schedule backwards, potentially crunching design time.
Located at the northeast edge of town (adjacent to Pemco at I-5 & Stewart Street), REI's new flagship store is representative of the new age of retail design. From its four levels of parking specially equipped for large recreational vehicles, to its 60-foot enclosed rock climbing wall and landscaped gardens surrounding the ground level of the building, REI's new flagship store is designed to enhance its customer's experience of outdoor activities.
The look and feel of the building confirms REI's image -- a casual, light atmosphere reflecting REI's outdoor roots and commitment to the environment. Elements within and around the store bring the image to life; a rustic stone and steel fireplace warming patrons inside, trees and plants indigenous to the Northwest sculpting the landscape and natural timber lining the walls of the two-story building.
The experiences REI offers consumers go beyond conventional retail. Customers can paddle a new kayak around a wave pool, cruise a mountain bike down a 21,000-square-foot outdoor course, break in hiking boots on a variety of indoor hiking "trails," and scale a 60-foot rock climbing wall.
Structurally, this type of entertainment/retail project poses some interesting challenges to the design team. The biggest challenge was creating a structural system to support the free-standing climbing wall and the glass and steel enclosure that houses it.
At more than 80 tons for the entire structure, a substantial concrete foundation was required to support its weight. In addition, the 60-foot upright rock had to be designed to resist earthquake forces.
Another challenge was to combine the enclosure that houses the climbing rock with the southeast corner of the main facility. To accomplish this, two different structural systems were used which took into consideration issues like temperature expansion and contraction that will occur once the buildings are joined together.
In addition to meeting the challenges presented by the structure of the buildings, the designers took advantage of REI's request to implement principals of "green engineering" -- the continual effort to restore and replenish natural resources in the engineering process.
Recycled timber, engineered wood products, recycled concrete for aggregate and backfill and re-engineered steel are some of the green materials used. The team even devised a system of collecting rainwater for the kayak pool.
So, if we build it, will they come?
As this season's retail projects near their Thanksgiving completion dates, the question will be answered. Seattle developers, engineers and contractors have worked to build stores that are backed by solid strategies and offer more than just merchandise to customers.
Retailers are banking on the fact that they've found the niche to stimulate a resurgence of retail in downtown Seattle, and design teams have found a new twist on an old building type that has offered exciting new challenges throughout the design and building process.
Jay Taylor is a structural engineer and vice president with RSP/EQE, a structural engineering firm with 17 offices worldwide. RSP/EQE recently completed the renovation of the Coliseum Theater for Banana Republic and is currently working on the structural design for REI's new flagship store and the renovation of the Frederick & Nelson Building for Nordstrom.
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