Vitus, a company focused on acquiring, improving, and preserving affordable housing nationwide, was in need of new office space. As an extension of their ethos of investing in communities, the company bought an overlooked 25,000-square-foot, 1920s-era building in the Belltown neighborhood of downtown Seattle.
Project name
Vitus Headquarters / 2607 2nd Avenue
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Kevin Scott, Ross Eckert
Design team
Jim Graham, Principal in Charge. Caroline Brown, Project Manager. Shazi Tharian, Project Architect. Ryan Drake, Project Architect/Designer. Renderer: Ryan Drake, Ross Eckert
Collaborators
Tenor Acoustics (Acoustical Engineer), RDH (Envelope), Resolute (Custom Feature Stair Light Fixture), Objekts (Office Furniture Selection/Procurement), MRJ (General Contractor), Dovetail (Casework/Board-Formed Concrete/Architectural Metals)
Interior design
Charlie Hellstern Interior Design
Structural engineer
Swenson Say Faget
Environmental & MEP
Ecotope (Mechanical Engineer), Case Engineering (Electrical Engineer), PanGEO (Geotechnical Engineer)
Material
Structural system: Existing heavy timber structural frame levels 1-3, Board form cast in place shear walls, steel penthouse and seismic upgrades. Exterior cladding; Manufacturer/Brand/Material: AEP Span/Design Span HP. Roofing: AEP Span/Design Span HP & Soprema Sopralene SBS roofing. Windows: Marvin Ultimate & Kawneer 451UT. Glass: Cardinal 366 (L3/4), Cardinal Lo E 272 Clear (L1). Skylights: Crystalite. Clerestory: Fleetwood Series 3800. Exterior Doors: Fleetwood Series 3070 Sliding Doors, Marvin Ultimate Swing Doors. Interior Doors: Lynden Wood Doors, Vetrotech Fire Rated Glazed Doors, Custom White Oak Stained Doors, Custom Steel Glazed Doors. Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore. Solid surfacing: Caesarstone, Pental. Hardwood flooring: Resawn Timber Co., Tongue And Groove, White Oak. Carpet Tile: Ege Rawline Scala. Floor Tile: Drytile, Valley Series. Wall Tile: AdexUSA Riviera; Design And Direct Source, Umi Naya. Resilient flooring: Forbo Marmoleum, Tarkett Rubber Flooring
Typology
Commercial › Office
Since their founding in the late 1970s, The Ballard Food Bank has expanded its services to meet the needs of the most vulnerable members of the community. Now in addition to addressing food insecurity, it provides social and medical services through collaborations with a variety of community partners
Project name
Ballard Food Bank
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Lara Swimmer, Ross Eckert
Design team
Brian Jonas, Jim Graham, Erica Witcher, Ross Eckert
Collaborators
Owner's Representative: Spectrum Development Solutions. Building Envelope Consultant: 4EA Building Science. Signage & Environmental Graphics: Studio Matthews. Accessibility Consultant: Studio Pacifica. Acoustic Consultant: A3 Acoustics. Kitchen Equipment Consultant: CMA Restaurant Supply & Design. Refrigeration Design: Refrigeration Unlimited
Structural engineer
Lund Opsahl
Environmental & MEP
Holmberg Mechanical (Mechanical Engineer), AWA Electrical Consultants Inc. (Electrical Engineer)
Construction
Wilcox Construction Inc.
Typology
Commercial › Food Bank
Travelers seek lounges as an escape from the anxiety, noise, and commotion of the concourse. Alaska Airlines sought to transform the lounge typology from an exclusive haven for business travelers to a warm, welcoming space where all guests can find refuge—to relax, work, refuel, and connect.
Project name
Alaska Airlines Lounge at SeaTac International Airport
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
SeaTac, Washington, USA
Photography
Andrew Pogue, Ross Eckert, Alaska Airlines
Design team
Brett Baba, Maureen O’Leary, Francesco Borghesi, Andy Brown, Katie Moeller
Interior design
Graham Baba Architects, Charlie Hellstern Interior Design
Collaborators
SRG Partnership (architect of record). Ricca Design Studios (foodservice consultant). Integrated Design Lab, University of Washington (daylighting consultant). Arup (acoustical engineer). Graypants (entry art wall). Interior Environments (custom furniture and built-in fabrication). Resolute Lighting (lighting fabrication). Spearhead (entry desk fabrication)
Structural engineer
Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Environmental & MEP
Stantec (electrical engineer), Mazzetti (mechanical engineer)
Construction
Hensel Phelps
Typology
Hospitality › Restaurant, Lounge
The Shop seamlessly integrates hospitality with design, event, office, and immersive retail, serving as a gathering place for the creative community at a time when culture and connection have never been more important. Part café, part boutique, and part showroom, The Shop is a venue that defies categorization. At the beating heart of the “radical h...
Project name
The Shop by Porter
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Design team
Graham Baba Architects project team: Jim Graham. Lauren Strang. Taehyung Kim. Porter project team: Kathleen Selke. Kyle Haakenson. Amy Atkins. Mia Wiggin
Collaborators
Environmental Art: House of Sorcery; Acoustic Consultant: SSA Acoustics, LLP; Kitchen Equipment Consultant: CMA Restaurant Supply & Design, Inc.; Custom Metal Fabrication: Out of Round Design; Casework: Creoworks
Structural engineer
ROICH Structural
Construction
MRJ Constructors
Client
Client: Porter Owner's Representative: Splice
Typology
Hospitality › Café, Showroom
Beginning with an outdated 1962 split-level beachfront house, the challenge for this remodel involved the transformation and recycling of the original 1960s split-level house into a home that’s connected to its location. “The rural, agrarian structures of Lopez Island served as inspiration for the design,” notes Jim Graham. “We wanted to create som...
Project name
Lopez Island Beach Cabin
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Lopez Island, Washington, USA
Photography
Benjamin Benschneider
Interior design
Jennifer Randall & Associates
Construction
Ravenhill Construction
Material
Brick, concrete, glass, wood, stone
Typology
Residential › House
After working with Graham Baba Architects on a number of their branded retail concepts it was time to improve their offices. As a leader in the burgeoning wellness industry, specifically the recreational cannabis market, the company desired a space that reflected their growing status within the market and a way to benchmark their corporate identity...
Project name
Cannabis Company Corporate Headquarters
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Andrew Giammarco
Principal architect
Brett Baba
Design team
Crystal Loya (Project Manager), Jeff King (Project Architect), Lauren Strang (Design Support)
Collaborators
Furnishings: Objekts. Acoustical Engineer: Arup. Theatrical/AV: Arup
Interior design
Charlie Hellstern Interior Design
Structural engineer
Roi Chang
Environmental & MEP
Mechanical Engineer: Ecotope. Electrical Engineer: Rushing
Material
Partitions: Wilson Partitions Series 500 and Wide Stile Doors. Glass: ¼” and 3/8” thick glazing, some laminated for acoustic performance. Interior doors: Ceco Door hollow metal frames with Custom Wood Doors (maple veneer, some with lites). Paints and stains: Dulux White Swan + Benjamin Moore Himalayan Trek + Benjamin Moore Westcott Navy. Fabric Wall Panels: Fabritrak clip system with Camira Blazer fabric. Wood Wall Panels: Maple veneer panels with faux marine plywood tape banding.
Typology
Commercial › Office Building
Understory at The Spheres is a multifunctional exhibit and visitor center designed to tell the story of The Spheres, Amazon’s iconic and wholly unique insertion into the heart of Seattle. The exhibit unravels the complexity of the architecture and engineering and the very idea behind bringing people closer to nature on a daily basis in the heart of...
Project name
Understory at The Spheres
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Benjamin Benschneider
Design team
Graham Baba Architects project team: Jim Graham, Ellen Cecil, Susan Tillack, Connor Davidge, Katie Moeller. Exhibit design team: Jill Randerson Exhibit Management (project & content management), Studio Matthews (exhibition design), Belle & Wissell (multi-media design), Niteo (lighting design), Jesse Solomon Clark (composer), Olivia Knapp (illustrator), Dillon Works (exhibit fabrica-tion), Whitlock (AV integration)
Collaborators
Okano Picard Studio (architectural team members), Spearhead (pre-fabrication for custom wood ceiling and vestibule)
Interior design
Charlie Hellstern Interior Design
Typology
Commercial › Multifunctional Exhibit, Visitor Center
Built in 1914, Smith Tower was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi upon its completion. No expense was spared in the construction of this ambitious 462-foot-tall building, with interiors finished in rich materials and ornate detailing. Today, this iconic figure in the Seattle skyline houses offices and commercial spaces topped by an obser...
Project name
The Penthouse at Smith Tower
Architecture firm
Graham Baba Architects
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
Photography
Tim Van Asselt
Design team
Jim Graham, Principal in charge. Jeff King, Project Manager
Collaborators
Agent: Moira Holley Presents for Realogics Sotheby's International Realty
Interior design
Graham Baba Architects
Environmental & MEP engineering
Material
Concrete, Wood, Glass, Steel
Construction
Valor Builds Collaborative
Typology
Residential › Apartment
