Upward Architecture collaborated with the owners of Hubbard’s Corner on the adaptive reuse of a 5,126 SF unreinforced masonry building constructed in 1912, that ultimately evolved into a living laboratory for low-carbon construction materials and techniques.

Located near Seattle’s Green Lake, the 2-story building underwent a comprehensive envelope improvement that exceeds the latest Seattle Energy Codes. Envelope improvements included high performance tilt/turn window and door systems from Germany-based  Schüco, hemp wool thermal batt insulation, and tuckpointing and structural connections for the unreinforced masonry shell.

While the building sustained limited damage from the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, a seismic retrofit was also performed on the building to prevent damage from future seismic activity. The new lateral system is a 3-part arrangement of zero-carbon CMU-alternative blocks made from algae in the basement, a recycled steel braced-frame on the first floor, and a mass-timber (Vertically-Laminated Veneer panel) wall on the upper floor.

We were also proud to be the global debut of a breakthrough cement-free concrete engineered by C-Crete Technologies, a pioneer in the development of cement-free concretes devoid of CO2 emissions. The C1157 concrete used in the project incorporated a basalt-based binder in lieu of cement, which produces almost no CO2 in the manufacturing process and absorbs CO2 over time.

The project’s scope also included a new rooftop solar array, new VRF heat-pump heating and cooling, new heat-recovery ventilation systems, cast-iron waste piping in lieu of PVC, new fire-protection sprinkles, and LED lighting. And to benefit both the ground-floor restaurant and passersby, new steel canopies were added to the south and west façades of the building to protect from the Seattle weather.

The building’s owners, Joan Crooks, retired CEO of an environmental advocacy group, and Don Davies, retired structural engineer and past president of Magnusson Klemencic Associates, live nearby and undertook the project both to explore environmentally responsible construction, and to breath new life into a cherished neighborhood building. In addition to community-minded offices on the upper floor (including that of Davies-Crooks Associates) a new sports-bar and restaurant, Atlantic Crossing, has opened on the first floor, allowing Crooks and Davies to satiate their passion for soccer.