Located in downtown Seattle, the 419 Occidental Ave. building was redeveloped to bring the 1906 warehouse into the 21st century without losing a connection to its history. To reference past external fire escapes and to meet current egress requirements, the architects brought the stairwell outside, using a combination of non-rated glass curtain walls and fire-rated door and window assemblies to flood it with natural light. The south end of the stairwell uses fire-rated doors and windows to meet emergency egress codes. Likewise, the north wall has a fire rating of 120 minutes. Because TGP’s fire-rated frames offer some of the narrowest profiles available with a fire rating, they provide a close visual match to the non-rated, curtain wall frames for a cohesive design aesthetic. The stairwell also includes a fire-rated corner window system within the building. On the mezzanine level, the floor-to-ceiling transparent glass is held within black, fire-rated frames and provides a 120-minute fire-rating. This corner window adds to the natural light inside the building. With its eye-catching stairwell addition, 419 Occidental Ave. is set to be a downtown landmark for years to come.
Project:
419 Occidental Avenue
Location:
Seattle, WA
Architect:
SHED Architecture & Design
