From its perch upon the highest point on campus, South Seattle College’s Wellness Center will help make fitness and wellness a visible and integral component of college life.
24,000 sf
Seattle, WA
2018
Targeted LEED Silver
The challenge was, and is, to make everything do double-duty: nothing here can afford to do only one thing. A single circulation spine running the length of the building links exercise areas with casual seating and can be a place to watch World Cup or World Series games on television. Multi-purposed studios are flexible enough to house a variety of activities, from meditation and yoga to mixed martial arts or heavy bag training.
Architectural simplicity is reinforced by structural simplicity. At two feet on center, open web wood joists repeat the entire length of the single-story building. Elegant and simple, the exposed trusses and plywood deck add warmth and texture while expressing purity in form and construction. Textural composite concrete panels and metal panels echo the 2’-0” rhythm on the exterior. Expanses of storefront window display areas of activity within the Wellness Center and offer commanding views to the west as well as south and east towards future athletic fields.
