Since 1904, this historic warehouse has housed the Tacoma Biscuit & Candy Company, the Union Pacific Railroad, the Tacoma Paper & Stationery Company, and a spice factory. Now, the University of Washington has made the four-story, 40,000-square-foot building a place for educational laboratories, classrooms, and student gathering areas.

LEED Gold certified, Glumac provided energy modeling, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and lighting design to the project. The energy team also performed life cycle cost analysis and incentive modeling for utility rebates.

Glumac designed the project with systems for dedicated outside air, variable refrigerant flow (VRF), and custom laboratory heat recovery.

A complete LED lighting package and variable speed control for the lab’s supply and exhaust systems reduce the building’s energy usage. The team significantly upgraded the facility’s envelope systems from the 1904 assemblies to meet the stringent requirements of the state code.

Finally, designing systems that operate efficiently and provide a sense of connection to the nearby Prairie Line Trail was a high priority for the design team. As a result, natural ventilation controls are used when staff open up ground-level spaces to the trail for community and campus events.

Awards/Recognition

• LEED Gold

Size: 40,000 square feet
Cost: $28 million
Start/End Date: June 2014 / September 2017
Architect: Miller Hull
Contractor: Mortenson Construction
Owner: University of Washington
Glumac Services: Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Lighting Design, Energy Modeling