a large building with many windows
a city with many buildings
a building with a lot of glass
a group of people sitting in a room with large windows
a group of people sitting on a bench in front of a building
Department of Veterans Affairs, Seattle Mental Health Facility and Parking Garage

WHAT WE DID

Degenkolb designed the new 230,000 square foot Department of Veterans Affairs mental health building with a high-performing buckling restrained braced frame system to promote seismic resiliency.

To provide excellent patient care to the mind as well as the body of our veterans, the VA envisioned a new mental health and research building with a new 1,000 car parking structure to serve their Seattle campus. Degenkolb designed the new 230,000 sf building with a high-performing buckling restrained braced frame system to promote seismic resiliency. To accommodate the flow of traffic on campus without encroaching on facility space, a portion of the parking structure will be subterranean while the aboveground portion is narrow and tall. The project team worked together to come up with a phasing plan that successfully delivers these sophisticated facilities and improvements within a constrained site. LEED® Gold certification is targeted.

Features:

  • New parking structure
  • BRB frame system
  • LEED Gold targeting
  • Mental health treatment
  • Structural System: structural steel frame with buckling restrained braced frames (MHR), reinforced concrete (Parking Structure)
  • Service: New Design

Benefits:

  • Mission critical performance to allow for “off the grid” operation for 4+ days
  • Blast-resistant design
  • Solar panels (Parking Structure)
  • Green Roof (MHR)

Rendering courtesy of Stantec

Project Team

Jim Malley
Senior Principal

I am a third-generation San Franciscan and have never lived more than 20 miles from the City.

Cale Ash
Group Director, Principal

I have climbed three of the five volcanoes in Washington.

Kyle Steuck
Principal

I got to ride my bike alongside Robin Williams for a short stretch.

David Sommer
Associate Principal

I am a professional musician and I play piano at church, weddings, funerals, and special events.

Dan Sloat
Associate

I am an amateur board game designer.

Devon Lumbard
Group Director, Principal

I taught Statics and Concrete Design courses at Portland State University.

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