The content for this article was originally featured in LoopNet on February 5, 2021.
In an effort to ease energy expenditures, Washington state has mandated stark sustainability goals for its built environment. But when a government entity had to move its headquarters to meet efficiency targets, it didn’t break ground on a flashy, new “green-certified” office park, but instead turned to a landlord and design team bent on achieving those goals by renovating instead of razing.
When searching for a new home to streamline its footprint, reduce consumption and exemplify the efficiency it espouses in governing the state’s energy usage, the Utilities and Transportation Commission of course considered constructing a new high-tech office.
But as there are 6 million commercial buildings in the country already, according to a 2019 American Institute of Architects report, UTC questioned if it needed to add even one more.
When contemplating reuse, UTC sought the expertise of MJR Development, a private developer experienced both in leasing to the government in the town of Lacey, Washington, near the state capital of Olympia, and overseeing significant building rehabilitations. With Seattle-based architecture firm Weber Thompson guiding the design considerations for such an overhaul, the groups came together with a plan to meet several ambitious goals through renovation.