Seattle Public Utilities Drainage and Wastewater South Operations Center Renovation

Seattle Public Utilities Drainage & Wastewater Division (SPU DWW) provides wastewater and stormwater management services to residences and businesses in the city of Seattle. SPU DWW has a variety of operational hubs with which they provide service to the City of Seattle. This project creates a new South Operations Center for SPU DWW, and combines other work groups to minimize operational duplication while improving collaboration and productivity.

SHKS is leading the design for the six-acre site near the Duwamish River. A substantial renovation of a 38,000-square-foot existing pre-engineered metal building will continue SPU’s mission to provide efficient and resilient operations, support a workplace culture based on employee health and wellness, and exemplify environmental stewardship. The project is targeting LEED Gold Certification.

Site planning organizes circulation by focusing fleet vehicle movement and operational storage to the southwest, and employee vehicle and pedestrian circulation to the northeast, separated by a common drive aisle. Pedestrian paths are introduced in specific locations to provide safe personnel access to the building.

Overall site development will contribute to several key sustainability objectives and include on-site power generation, stormwater bio-retention, rainwater harvesting, heat-island mitigation through increased planting of drought-tolerant vegetation, electric vehicle charging stations for fleet vehicles, facility amenities to encourage bicycle commuting, improved exterior green space and access to existing adjacent city park trails.

The design of the renovated interior will further support SPU's mission by providing a highly functional workplace that supports workforce efficiency and sustained employee health.

The entry lobby, adjacent to an outdoor gathering plaza, forms a social hub for the facility. Exposed building systems are visually balanced with finishes that reinforce institutional identity and create a welcoming place for a diverse workforce of program managers, administrators, and crew staff.

The dispatch area utilizes the tall volume of the existing structure and interior glazed partitions to maintain transparency within the facility's operations. New openings in the envelope allow natural daylight to penetrate deep into the building as well as provide connections to the outdoors.

An open plan office space is complemented by private meeting rooms. Access to social spaces, natural daylight, and ergonomic furniture all contribute to a forward looking workplace that supports staff well-being and productivity.

Seattle Public Utilities Drainage & Wastewater South Operations Center

Civic / Community

Libraries

Educational

Work / Commerce

Houses

In progress

SHKS