NAC|Architecture - Civic, Public Projects: Architects, Seattle, Spokane, Los Angeles, Denver

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Civic|Public Projects:

Light Rail Stations, Regional Transportation District, Denver, Colorado: The Southeast Corridor TREX project includes significant highway improvements and a new light rail line connecting downtown Denver with suburban development south of town. There are 13 new stations on the rail line. They are modern in design yet reminiscent of historic rail stations, and therefore identifiable with rail transportation, a relatively new component in the Denver transportation mix.

U.S. Port of Entry at Pacific Highway, Blaine, Washington: 2005 Merit Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Portland; 2000 Honor Award, U.S. General Services Administration, Public Buildings Service. NAC|Architecture – in collaboration with THA Architecture – was selected to design the expansion of the United States General Services Administration (GSA) Pacific Highway Port of Entry along the Canadian-United States border as part of the agency's Design Excellence Program. Located in Blaine, Washington, the port of entry houses the GSA and six other federal agencies responsible for inspecting vehicle traffic crossing the border. The facility serves as the official point of welcome for returning citizens, visitors and immigrants and also functions to deter illegal movement of people and materials.

Spokane County Fair and Expo Arena, Spokane, Washington: The 6,000-seat Spokane County Fair and Expo Arena celebrates the facility's premier annual event, the fall Fair and Rodeo, for which the arena's L-shaped configuration was conceived. The building's design also pays tribute to the region's agricultural heritage, with grain silos signifying the primary entries to the main exhibition hall and centrally located arena. With covered seating for 5,000 and a multipurpose floor surface, the facility is an ideal venue for a wide range of events. The lighting and public address system extends to the surrounding exhibition buildings for coordination of fair events. A bridge connecting the grandstands provides views into an enclosed multipurpose concessions garden below. The concessions garden opens onto an outdoor seating court through a series of glass doors and can be used separately from the grandstands - along with additional concession counters and public restrooms located beneath the seats - for fairground events. This built-in flexibility allows portions of the arena to become an integral part of all-day fair activities occurring along the main concourse.

Verdugo Jobs Center, Glendale, California: 1999 Honor Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/San Fernando Valley. The Verdugo Jobs Center's goal was to improve the image of job training programs and create a one-stop employment and training center provided by the Employment Development Department, the City of Glendale, and the neighborhood cities. Our vision for this Jobs Center was to offer a professional, friendly and supportive learning environment for the users. We also wanted to provide positive imagery that is emblematic of the social and economic importance of this facility, a place with a legacy of service, support and community commitment toward the workforce. The façade is a merge of surfaces and colors representing the integration of the three agencies. The maroon surface wraps around the north wall along the parking lot, bringing the public to the main entry. In order to balance the dynamics of the main façade, the “green” surface protrudes and is softened by a trellis with vine.

Spokane Downtown Library, Spokane Public Library - Spokane, Washington: 1994 People's Choice Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Spokane; 1994 Citation, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Spokane. The collaborative process used to design Spokane's 126,000-square-foot, three-story main library encompassed a series of sessions with the library board and director as well as user groups, making the final building organization a reflection of the collective wisdom of dozens of participants. Led by NAC|Architecture, the Downtown Library team included associated architect THA Architecture. The ground floor provides spacious, flexible public meeting spaces and a large grand stairway leading to the library's public service spaces on the second and third floors. To provide maximum flexibility within the floor plates, the library spaces are organized by an open-column grid. The southern edge of the grid features large masonry openings that provide framed views of the historic section of Spokane. The northern edge is a full glass wall showcasing an expansive view of the Spokane River Falls below. A large roof monitor fills the central volume with natural light, augmenting the lighting system. A grid of ducting for power, data and telecommunications weaves through the floors of both public service levels, providing ample flexibility for future access.

Fox Theater, Spokane Symphony, Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, Spokane, Washington: 2010 Preservation Honor Award, National Trust for Historic Preservation; 2009 Honor Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Northwest & Pacific Region; 2009 People's Choice Award, City of Spokane Mayor's Urban Design Awards; 2009 Merit Award, City of Spokane Mayor's Urban Design Awards; 2009 Architecture Honor Award, United States Institute for Theatre Technology; 2008 Merit Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Spokane. The Fox Theater, a 1930 art deco treasure, is one of only five large restored art deco theaters in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located in the newly revived downtown Spokane arts district and home to the Spokane Symphony, the theater stands as a symbol of past grandeur and future renewal of this sector of downtown. The Fox is an example of historic preservation at its finest. Meticulous work was done to restore its art deco detailing and uncover the original murals` splendor. The performance auditorium`s sightlines were reconfigured along with an overhaul of the HVAC and electrical systems, while preserving the hall`s outstanding acoustical qualities. Primary components of this transformation included an expansion of the lobby space, new dressing room facilities, support spaces, and a loading dock to serve symphony functions and a variety of traveling shows.

Spokane Masonic Center, Spokane, Washington: 2006 Special Mention, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Spokane. For this restoration project, NAC|Architecture undertook test cleaning and repair of the century-old landmark and subsequent oversight of the actual cleaning and repair construction. Monumental in style, the Spokane Masonic Center is part of the Riverside Avenue Historic District. Test cleaning and repair were conducted as a forensic exercise and prelude to overall cleaning and repair of the Riverside Avenue cast-stone façade of the Neo-classical building. The historic restoration is consistent with guidelines of the Secretary of the Interior.

Shadle Library, Spokane Public Library - Spokane, Washington: 1998 Award of Merit, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Spokane. The largest of Spokane Public Library's branches, this 17,847-square-foot facility serves northwest Spokane from the northwest corner of Shadle Park. The gentle curve of the floor plan focuses the user on the park setting and activities to the south. The main entry was emphasized by creating a glass vestibule that has a dramatic angular shape. The dark-green roof parallels the sloping ground plane, allowing the low south eave to control the amount of sun entering the reading areas, while the north side of the roof is lifted to allow north light into the interior and create a segmented rolling edge that becomes a part of the tree canopy when viewed from the park.

Omak Stampede Events Center Study, Omak, Washington: The Omak Stampede Events Center Master Plan Study has been developed around a 5,000- to 8,000-seat arena, whose primary use during the summer months will be for rodeo events. For maximum versatility, the east open end of the arena can be enclosed in the same seating layout as the west end. All seats are protected by a roof, providing shade from the hot summer sun during the annual August Stampede main event. Designed to accommodate a variety of events, the arena floor will feature a multipurpose surface. The Events Center is equipped with a lighting and public address system that extends to the surrounding activity areas. Three levels of restrooms and concessions spaces enclose the major south entry elevation. The central level consists of an open platform that initially will be used as a dance floor and beverage lounge that overlooks the main concourse of the surrounding park and athletic fields. Eventually, the concourse will extend from the west park boundary to the east boundary, connecting all park amenities. At the extreme west boundary bordering the City of Omak is an open area utilized annually by the same carnival operation that serves as the main west-end anchor tenant during the Stampede celebration. At the east opposite end is a large, open grass area used for soccer events all year, but is converted to the Pow Wow celebration grounds during the week long activities of the Stampede. The configuration of the L-shaped grandstands allows the arena to easily convert to a baseball stadium. The master plan provides circulation pathways for pedestrians as well as for service, safety and utility infrastructure considerations for complex public events.

Multipurpose Events Center and Arena, National Western Stock Show Association, Denver, Colorado: This multi-use facility includes an Olympic-size equestrian arena with fixed seating for 5,000 spectators. An additional 4,000 moveable seats can be located on the arena floor. Seating capacity can be increased by 2,000 seats in the future. The building area of 300,000 sf includes stable facilities for 750 horses in space that can also be used for exhibits. The design process included an analysis of the entire National Western complex to understand pedestrian, animal, and service circulation patterns, and the ways in which the buildings are used and maintained. Future plans for remodeling and expansion were discussed with the Stock Show to determine ways in which this facility could work well with the existing facilities and also enhance and direct future development. A very tight budget was accommodated with a metal industrial building incorporating economical building systems. This approach also addressed the industrial context of the surrounding area. Vibrant primary colors, boldly patterned flags, and an animated marquee are assembled in unexpected and theatrical ways to enliven the facade.

Federal Building/U.S. Post Office, Spokane, Washington: 1996 Honor Award, American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Spokane; 1994 Annual Prospectus Project Award Winner, General Services Administration; 1994 Historic Preservation Award, Eastern Washington State Historical Society. Endowed with a superb site, and created with an enduring architectural style, the historic Federal Building/U.S. Post Office in Spokane has regained its position as a truly productive and prestigious part of the city's downtown urban fabric. The four-story building was originally constructed in 1909 in a style representative of the end of a relatively long period of monumental federal buildings designed by the Treasury Department, with an extension to the north completed in 1941. Completion of a comprehensive renovation of the entire facility brings a valuable building in risk of outliving its usefulness back to a secure future of productivity.

Results:

Sustainability

Higher Education Projects: sun control envelope, optimizing energy performance
Student Housing: Eco-living, energy savings
K-12 School Projects: displacement ventilation, daylighting
Healthcare Projects: green roof, natural environment, sustainable wood products
Dental and Orthodontic Design: client preference, budget
Residential | Continuing Care Communities: energy savings, minimizing site disturbance
Commercial Projects: daylight harvesting
Civic | Public: adaptive reuse
Recreation | Community Projects: natural daylighting, waste reduction, thermal envelope
Restoration | Preservation Projects: daylighting, high-content recycled and locally procured material, building and material reuse
On-the-Boards: energy conservation, natural setting, daylighting

Story:

We have offices located in Seattle and Spokane, Washington; Los Angeles, California; Denver, Colorado.Contact UsSeattle Office
2025 1st Ave Ste 300
Seattle, Washington 98121
phone: 206-441-4522
fax: 206-441-7917Los Angeles Office
3951 Medford St
Los Angeles, California 90063-1608
phone: 323-859-3100
fax: 323-859-3110Spokane Office
1203 W Riverside Ave
Spokane, Washington 98021-1107
phone: 509-838-8240
fax: 509-838-8261Denver Office
1600 Broadway, Suite 1600
Denver, Colorado 80202-4916
phone: 720-335-6248
fax: 720-294-3465