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Project Description
NAC|Architecture Addition
1203 West Riverside Avenue
Spokane, WA 99201
Completed: December 2008
This 10,000-square-foot addition to NAC|Architecture’s Spokane office
expands studio, administrative and support space to accommodate the
firm’s ongoing growth. The addition houses 35 work stations as well as a
large multi-use room for office and other professional functions.
The
building is physically connected to NAC|Architecture’s original historic
brick building in what was previously a nine-car surface parking lot.
The building site is small, sandwiched between the historic building and
an adjacent surface parking lot.
While the original building’s historic nature – with its load-bearing
masonry walls, punched opening, and tile mansard roof – might have
suggested a historic design solution for the addition, the character of
other surrounding buildings is more diverse.
Nearby historic buildings include Lady of Lourdes, the Masonic Center
and the West Coast Life Insurance building. Adjacent to
NAC|Architecture’s original building is the revitalized Riverside Court
townhouse with its plazas, fountains and gardens, as well as historic
masonry apartment buildings. The Spokesman-Review’s stucco truck-fleet
garage (the old Greyhound bus station), in an art-deco style, is
directly southeast of the site. Other buildings in the neighborhood
have a more modern appearance.
Designed as a modern urban-infill gem, the addition plays a significant
role in the continuing revitalization of downtown Spokane. While the
design of the addition is a vivid departure from that of
NAC|Architecture’s existing building, subtle elements were employed to
unite the two structures: horizontal lines, a similar pallet of colors,
and complementary building materials. The colors of the addition’s
copper wall panels and sandstone were chosen for their similarity to the
colors of the existing building’s brick and cast stone.
The
building form, which is predominantly a cantilevered glass studio
extending over a stone wall base with a concrete stair tower anchoring
the corner, speaks to the variety of the architectural styles in the
neighborhood, respecting the historical surrounding but clearly stating
that it is from a different era in the continuum of time. Materials
selected also reflect those of the neighborhood, including the copper
panels that transition to the neighboring structures with the copper
roof of the Lady of Lourdes Cathedral dominating the skyline of the
neighborhood.
Simple landscaping and street trees have been added along the east
street façade at the cantilevered studio space, continuing the
landscaping palette of the Riverside Court townhouses and softening the
pedestrian experience.
A
simple gesture of a new stair to the elevated surface parking lot to the
south enhances pedestrian access to and around the site. The stair is
well-lit, has adjacent planting beds, and is used often by residents in
the neighborhood.
Sustainability is a core value of the building owners and occupants.
LEED Silver certification is anticipated for the USGBC-registered
building. Sustainable features include: maximized daylight
opportunities with the low-e glass façade, motorized roll-down shades
and translucent skylights; energy-efficient lighting systems with
integrated daylight sensors and dimmable ballasts; ultra-high-efficiency
water fixtures and irrigation systems; and an efficient displacement
HVAC system that increases indoor air quality.
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