Originally built in 1921 as part of Seattle’s Auto Row along the Pike-Pine Street corridor, Boylston Garage is an adaptive reuse of a former automotive garage. The design excavates and restores the building’s historic character, while selectively and tastefully upgrading it for a new phase of life. Many neighboring buildings of its era have been gutted and replaced, some leaving only the original facade behind. In this case, much of the original construction of the brick and heavy timber structure survived behind decades of renovation and modification, providing the opportunity to rediscover and celebrate the existing character both inside and out. Modern touches bring the building into the 21st century to provide an authentic but contemporary creative work space that sits beautifully in the fabric of the vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The building consists of nearly 15,000 square feet of open office space across three levels. New storefront windows and entry doors are set into the existing brick façade. A new primary entry vestibule replaces the original vehicle entry and ramp. A small lobby space provides access to the stair and to the elevator which is reached via an accessible ramp up to the main level. The main level features 14-foot-high ceilings and  the original, newly exposed 3-foot-deep heavy timber beams and nail-laminated deck. The most conspicuous intervention is the addition of large, steel seismic braces along the inside of the east and west walls, which will extend the life of the building for many years to come. A second entry opens directly into the main level, with a third at the northeast corner entering an additional enclosed stair.

At the upper level, the attic floor was removed to reveal 8-foot-tall timber trusses within an 18-foot-high space. Skylights, boarded up long ago, have been reopened and additional skylights added, bathing this level in natural light. The lower level features 12-foot-high ceilings and unique exposed column assemblies, with the office oriented to take advantage of natural light along the west façade. 

To bring the building up to current energy code requirements, much of the interior brick had to be insulated and covered, but pilasters along the east wall are left exposed. Light fixtures are strategically integrated to compliment the daylighting and celebrate the raw materials throughout. Modern updates and finishes are thoughtfully detailed and applied with a clean palette of materials to create a comfortable, contemporary office space that rests beautifully in a historic frame.