Seattle's vibrant growth in employment has created a high demand for more housing. At the same time, the American relationship to work has changed dramatically in the last five years, with more people working remotely or in hybrid arrangements and spending less time in the office. As the city tries to fulfill its housing needs, repurposed office buildings may provide a way to meet this demand. What possibilities can converted office spaces offer? How feasible is it to transform offices into residential or other-use buildings?

Join the Seattle Architecture Foundation on August 14^th to explore these questions. At this panel, you’ll hear from experts with Gensler, Board & Vellum, and The Miller Hull Partnership as they present the benefits and challenges of repurposing office spaces from economic, environmental, and design perspectives. Featured projects include the completed Astor Apartments in Tacoma, a recently approved office conversion in Queen Anne (Seattle’s first post-pandemic office-to-residential project), and the new Populus Hotel in the 1907 Westland Building. Panelists will discuss design and technical considerations, adaptive reuse trends in the architecture industry, and the outlook for Seattle in stewarding these projects. A Q&A and light reception, generously sponsored by Board & Vellum, will follow. 

Panelists

JP Emery, Regional Practice Area Leader, Gensler

Mike Jobes, AIA, Principal, The Miller Hull Partnership

Erin Parker, Senior Associate, Board & Vellum

Photos and renderings courtesy of The Astor Apartments, Board & Vellum, The Miller Hull Partnership, and Urban Villages