Stirrett Johnsen joined the Vulcan/GLY team in 2010, providing comprehensive design-build plumbing services to this stunning and ambitious project. Block 34 consists of 2 steel-framed buildings with a 5 story glass connector. The total footage includes 550,000 square feet of Class A office space and street level retail, extensive rain-fed water features, plus 213,800 square feet of parking. BIM was utilized extensively for new construction and also for complex MEP system coordination required for preservation and improvements to the historic Terry Avenue Building located between the two new towers. The project was awarded a 2012 Seattle Design and Commission Award, Public Projects (Alley Redesign) and earned LEED Gold Certification.

As of 2017, Stirrett Johnsen has participated in seven total Lake Union Block projects and associated tenant improvements. This includes Blocks 34, 35, 44, 52E, 52W, 57E, and 21 totaling over 4,269,000 Square Feet. Repeat business is a testament to the trust and confidence earned by Stirrett Johnsen.

Project Strategies and Results

Early involvement in design, scheduling, and budgeting of the project to achieve alignment of project objectives with the finished project.
Comprehensive BIM modeling was utilized to solve the challenges of coordination in occupied spaces.
Bio-retention system space for collecting, filtering, and controlling rainwater was used for water features with vegetation.
Rooftop gardens and gathering spaces required different systems for irrigation and water sources.
Core lavatories were fed utilizing an efficient single pipe tempered water loop instead of a traditional two pipe system, saving on piping and mixing valves at each fixture.
Our team overcame the challenge of keeping services hidden in large kitchens with “floating cloud” ceilings.