 |
 |
LIFESTYLES •Home Sweet Office •Bellevue Square •A Touch of History •Bellevue Urbanite •Discover Downtown ARTS & CULTURE •Theatre Performances ENTERTAINMENT •Haute Picks •2003 BDA Calendar of •Events •Downtown Event Calendar DOWNTOWN LIVING •Abella Condominiums •Palazzo Condominiums •Apartments DOWNTOWN RESOURCES •Downtown Directory •Downtown Restaurant •Guide •Downtown Bellevue Map •Related Links •Bellevue Downtown •Association •Advertisers •Downtown by the •Numbers HOME ADVERTISE ISSUE ARCHIVE Bellevue Downtown is a publication of the Bellevue Downtown Association © 2003 |
 |
| Discover Downtown: A Spotlight On the Interior of the Downtown Bellevue Skyline Downtown Bellevue is well known for its sparkling skyline of glass towers. While these buildings are beautiful to view from the exterior, a look inside them reveals several examples of brilliant design work as well.
|
||||||||
What happens when an architectural firm, which specializes in corporate interior environments, designs their own office space? You get the innovative style found in the offices of JPC Architects. Visitors are greeted by an impressive volume of space, with 15’ tall ceilings, monumental columns, a gallery of current projects and extraordinary walls of glass, punctuated by accents of blue and a striking yellowish green. According to JPC Architects managing partner Dan Butler, “Our goal was to create an interesting backdrop for displaying our work that showcases our design abilities and promotes staff interaction and communication.” JPC is known for designing many of downtown’s coolest spaces, including all of the offices featured in this story. 
Walking into Valve is somewhat like walking into the world of their successful PC game, Half-Life. The wiring and infrastructure of the building are visible and the carpet has been stripped, leaving a concrete floor. Clay prototypes of game monsters and books such as The Pop-Up Book of Nightmares can be found on coffee tables in the informal meeting spaces, called “Teaming Areas” located along the halls. A conference room with steel metal siding, steel tables and a plywood floor resembles a shipping container. Just outside the kitchen, preparations are being made for the arrival of the company pet, an invertebrate creature called a Nautilus. If it weren’t for the panorama of windows revealing the outside world, visitors might find themselves saying “Toto, I don’t think we’re in Downtown Bellevue anymore.” 
Puget Sound Properties, a commercial real estate sales and leasing company, has pinned down the essence of a warm, modern and sophisticated space in their office on the 19th floor of Skyline Tower. Taupe walls, with gold and green accents and a mottled carpet reflect the colors in the aerial shots on display throughout the office, which showcase the company’s market areas. In the conference room, pendant lamps hang like glass bells, conducive to working and to viewing the gallery of photos of the Puget Sound region. And at the opposite ends of a long hallway, several putters and golf balls indicate that it’s not all work and no play at Puget Sound Properties. 
To break out of the “cookie-cutter” design of most organizations, BenefitPort NW focused on the aesthetic value of their new office space. Jolene Sanborn, Director of Operations, stresses the important role each member plays in the success of their organization for their new space. One of their unique aspects adorns the wall directly behind the reception desk, a frameless 11-canvas piece of artwork. They engaged a local artist to collaborate with employees who assisted with the design and production. Sanborn described the project as a unique team-building exercise that truly represents the character of the organization. The blend of sizes, images and styles symbolizes the diversity within the company; at one time over 20 nations were represented. 
When SS+K, an integrated communications firm, began work on the design for their new workspace at Civica Office Commons, they decided to digress from a traditional office layout. Whereas many firms keep their production area hidden away in a back corner, SS+K decided to anchor their production offices in the middle of the space, giving visiting clients a sense of the energy of the firm, much like the buzz of a newsroom. They also focused on creating an equitable work environment where workstations are located along the windows and offices are internal. “The tone of the office is minimalistic and almost industrial, intended to express the creative fire of the firm,” explains SS+K Senior Vice President Jay Wampole.
