Washington Fruit & Produce Company’s new headquarters building appears to have taken a few design cues from Frodo and Bilbo’s Shire. The building is tucked neatly behind landforms and site walls to blend in with the landscape and provide a refuge from the noise and activity of the industrial processing yards nearby.
The HQ building is modeled after an aging barn the client identified as a favorite with the result being a simple exposed structure that uses a limited material palette and natural patina. Board-formed concrete site walls and earthen berms wrap the perimeter of the HQ to form a central, landscaped courtyard.
Visitors coming from the parking area cross the courtyard via a boardwalk to reach the building entrance; a fully-glazed façade with a series of wood columns spaced across the building in regular intervals. The boardwalk aligns with an offset wood-wrapped entryway inserted into the glazed façade.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Scott.
The 18-foot-tall scissored glu-lam structural columns are pulled to the outside to enable the 175-foot-long interior space to be completely column free. The interior, which is topped with 68-foot-long exposed truss girders, reaches a maximum height of 20 feet.
Summer heat gain is limited via south-facing overhangs and high efficiency glazing. Meanwhile a long clerestory dormer on the south side balances interior light. Reclaimed barn wood siding and a weathering steel roof round out the exterior materials.
The interior provides offices along its south wall, while conference spaces and back-of-house functions are set in wood-clad boxes. Furnishings are all kept low in order to reinforce the open feeling of the structure and a raised flooring system further preserves the clean aesthetic of the HQ building.
The L-shaped structure also includes a sales office and a lunchroom featuring a 30-foot-long table where staff and farmers can gather for communal meals.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Scott.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Scott.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Scott.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Scott.
Related Stories
Contractors | Feb 6, 2015
Census Bureau: Capital spending by U.S. businesses increased 4.5%
Of the 19 industry sectors covered in the report, only one had a statistically significant year-to-year decrease in capital spending: the utilities sector.
Office Buildings | Feb 3, 2015
5 trends transforming workplace design
RTKL's workplace design expert Jodi Williams foresees healthier and more technologically enabled offices that allow productive worker interaction, wherever they happen to be.
Office Buildings | Feb 3, 2015
Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company
The tensile canopy shades a relaxation plaza from the desert sun.
Office Buildings | Feb 2, 2015
Study shows modern workers struggle to leave work at the office
Study findings indicate that more than half the respondents holds tight to their smartphones, checking and responding to email and taking phone calls, all or most of the time.
Office Buildings | Jan 28, 2015
Sustainability’s missed opportunity: small commercial buildings
The real opportunity for shrinking the nation’s energy footprint lies in the mundane world of small commercial buildings, writes BD+C's David Barista.
Office Buildings | Jan 27, 2015
London plans to build Foggo Associates' 'can of ham' building
The much delayed high-rise development at London’s 60-70 St. Mary Axe resembles a can of ham, and the project's architects are embracing the playful sobriquet.
Office Buildings | Jan 26, 2015
Seattle gets a peek at Amazon’s latest plans for its downtown complex
The online retailer is seeking permits to build on a fourth city block that would include 835,200 sf of office space.
| Jan 14, 2015
10 change management practices that can ease workplace moves
No matter the level of complexity, workplace change can be a challenge for your client's employees. VOA's Angie Lee breaks down the process of moving offices as efficiently as possible, from creating a "change team" to hosting hard-hat tours.
| Jan 13, 2015
SOM-designed Broadgate Exchange House wins Twenty-five Year Award
Exchange House, an elegant 10-story office building that spans over the merging tracks of London’s Liverpool Street Station, is located in London’s Broadgate Development.
| Jan 9, 2015
10 surprising lessons Perkins+Will has learned about workplace projects
P+W's Janice Barnes shares some of most unexpected lessons from her firm's work on office design projects, including the importance of post-occupancy evaluations and having a cohesive transition strategy for workers.