Seattle, Washington, USA – LMN Architects celebrates the completion of the new Hines Seattle Headquarters at the Norton Building in Downtown Seattle. The project sets a new precedent in low carbon design in the United States and reflects the Firm’s commitment to research and sustainability.

The new Hines Seattle Headquarters on the 8th floor of Seattle’s historic Norton Building provides a thoughtful new paradigm in low carbon and circular design. Intending to eliminate embodied carbon impact without relying on carbon offsets, the design team implemented circular design principles aimed at minimizing waste and the associated wasted carbon. This goal was achieved through the creative reuse of building materials and a meticulous carbon analysis. From an ingenious feature wall composed entirely of wood offcuts to a glazed entry constructed of glass salvaged onsite, the carbon reduction goals informed every decision around materiality. Designing to retain, reuse, and source salvaged materials resulted in a measured 65% embodied carbon reduction compared to a typical remodel that begins with an empty shell. If the same design did not consider salvage and reuse, and solely relied on specifying low-carbon options, it would only result in a 22% reduction.

Jennifer Chen, Principal, LMN Architects, comments: “The Hines Seattle Headquarters is the next step after our recent and extensive research on the embodied carbon impact of cyclical interior renovations. Knowing the significance of our impact led us to examine and reconsider how we practice, and what we can do to further mitigate the amount of carbon the building industry generates. The collaboration with Hines and Sellen Construction towards this common goal has been extremely rewarding, and we are proud of what we have accomplished together with our team.”