Paxson Fay

Metropole

A Non-profit Center for Communities of Color Is One of the Lowest Energy-use Buildings in Seattle.

By Matt Aalfs, AIA

Formerly an abandoned building in Seattle’s Pioneer Square National Historic District, the Metropole building now is a vital resource center for community. climate response and racial equity. Constructed in 1892, the building had been damaged by multiple earthquakes, fire and exposure to the elements during 17 years of vacancy. This highly sustainable adaptive reuse project has transformed the 34,000-square-foot historic building into a center for non-profits, serving Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities, demonstrating that historic preservation, climate leadership and social justice can be simultaneously achieved.

Community-first Approach

Commissioned by the Satterberg Foundation, a Seattle-based philanthropic organization, the project supports the foundation’s mission to promote a sustainable environment and a just society.

“In funding this project, Satterberg was motivated to take action to help non-profits that could no longer afford downtown office space stay in our city,” says Sarah Walczyk, Satterberg Foundation’s executive director. “The Metropole building project sits at the nexus of our commitment to promoting a just society and a sustainable environment.”

The mixed-use program emerged from a 12-month commu-nity-engagement process in which historically marginalized communities were asked what they most needed to live and work in downtown Seattle. During this process, the team met with community advocates, non-profit organizations, and residents to ask what services and spaces were most needed. These focus groups, virtual meetings and in-person interviews engaged several hundred people.

The highest need was affordable childcare, followed by office spaces with shared common areas, conference/event/ meeting space, a commercial kitchen for meal programs, and spaces for arts and culture. These resources now located within Metropole ensure access and affordability in Seattle’s downtown core for people and organizations at risk of displacement.

Repair, Restore, Transform

Prior to this project, the building had been abandoned and open to the weather; it was in a state of near ruin. Windows and storefronts were missing; the historic sandstone and brick façades were deteriorated from multiple layers of paint; and the building structure had been severely damaged from earthquakes, fire and neglect.

BuildingWork’s architectural solution was rooted in care, craft and restraint. 3D scanning documented and analyzed existing conditions and helped develop the as-built Building Information Model, which was used for design and documentation.

Work included removal of seven layers of paint from the rusticated sandstone and brick façades, revealing hidden architectural detail. A full restoration of the historic carved Tenino sandstone was completed. Brick was repaired, mortar replaced and the original cornice reconstructed. New triple-glazed double-hung wood windows were installed at upper floors while new triple-glazed wood curtainwall was placed at street level.

A complete seismic retrofit was part of the project. BuildingWork collaborated with Seattle engineering firm Swenson Say Faget to design the seismic retrofit, which uses steel moment frames and concrete shear walls to strengthen and stabilize the more than 100-year-old unreinforced masonry building.

The adjacent street retaining wall and elevated sidewalk structure also were replaced. Two upper-floor levels that collapsed in the 1949 earthquake were reconstructed, using contemporary materials and details. The roof level now contains photovoltaic arrays, the air-to-water heat-pump plant, a new amenity pavilion and terrace, and artwork.

The design preserves and reuses historic cast-iron columns and timber framing while adding key interventions, like a fire-rated glass-enclosed stairwell, wood curtainwall system, and new rooftop terrace and pavilion. Interiors celebrate the building’s material legacy by leaving original stone, brick, timber and cast iron exposed, minimizing the addition of new finish materials.

Climate Response

Sustainable design features include an innovative HVAC system that uses air-to-water heat pumps, driving hydronic radiant heating and passive chilled-beam cooling. Natural ventilation is supported with an LED display in each space that prompts occupants to open or close windows in coordination with the HVAC system. Photovoltaic arrays with battery storage, elimination of fossil fuels and Red List materials, and thoughtful daylighting strategies contribute to energy performance and occupant health.

“By reinvigorating a vacant building into a thriving hub for non-profits, serving BIPOC communities, Metropole illustrates what’s possible when preservation and purpose go hand in hand.” —Lisa Howard, executive director, Alliance for Pioneer Square

Outcome

Metropole stands as BuildingWorks most complex, innovative and ambitious adaptive-reuse project to date. Working closely with the owner, the architects led an intensive three-year process of community engagement, design and permitting, followed by a three-year construction effort, balancing client goals, community needs, historic-preservation requirements, mandatory building-code upgrades and technical innovation. The resulting building, which was completed in 2025, sets a precedent for what climate-responsive, community-first design can achieve through adaptive reuse.

“The Metropole’s restoration is a landmark moment for Pioneer Square, both literally and symbolically,” says Lisa Howard, executive director, Alliance for Pioneer Square, which is Seattle’s historic first downtown. “This project reflects our neighborhood’s values by honoring history while investing in a more equitable, sustainable future for all who live, work and visit. By reinvigorating a vacant building into a thriving hub for non-prof-its, serving BIPOC communities, Metropole illustrates what’s possible when preservation and purpose go hand in hand.

Retrofit Team

Client: Satterberg Foundation, satterberg.org

Architect: BuildingWork, www.buildingwork.design

• Matt Aalfs, principal-in-charge
• Kate Weiland, senior architect
• RJ Van Liere, project architect

General Contractor: W.G. Clark Construction Co., wgclark.com

Structural Engineer: Swenson Say Faget, ssfengineers.com

Civil Engineer: LPD Engineering, Ipdengineering.com

Mechanical Engineer: Ecotope, www.ecotope.com

Electrical Engineer: TFWB, tf-wb.com

Lighting Designer: Dark Light, www.darklight-design.com

Acoustic Consultant: SSA Acoustics, ssaacoustics.com