Van Vorst Building Reuse

Work

Preserving a 20th Century Landmark Building: Engineering a retrofit of the C.B. Van Vorst Company building in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood

The C.B. Van Vorst Company Building in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood has been a longstanding iconic feature since 1909. As a result, the preservation of the historic facility became a priority. DCI Engineers provided structural design solutions that allowed the building to be retrofitted and rebuilt.

Location:

Seattle, Washington

Square Feet:

42,000

Stories:

Service:

Structural

Industries:

Seismic/Adaptive Renovation

Primary Material:

Concrete

Project Highlights

The building’s interior framing and a portion of the exterior walls were completely demolished with the only remaining elements consisting of the front façade and half of each side façade.
Provided details for construction sequencing to temporarily support the existing façade while allowing the construction of the new interior steel framing.
Van Vorst and the adjacent buildings all host the Amazon headquarters.