Byrd Barr Place -

Byrd Barr Place

Client

Byrd Barr Place

Location

Seattle, Washington

Scope

Adaptive Reuse

Awards

Honorable Mention, AIA Seattle Honor Awards, 2022

Merit Award (Conceptual) , AIA Seattle Honor Awards, 2020

A design affirming history, place, and community service.

As a community resource center operating from the historic Fire Station #23 in the Central District — a building listed on the National Register of Historic Places — Byrd Barr Place provides housing and energy assistance, a food bank, and financial education for Seattle’s residents in need of basic human services. SHKS Architects designed a comprehensive renovation of the historic structure’s interior and exterior to help improve operations within the two-story building, originally constructed in 1908, through a reconfiguration of the interior while respecting the building’s character-defining features. The interior renovation of nearly 11,000 square feet includes flexible office space for staff and expanding programs, a revamped food bank, and a new community gathering space.

Byrd Barr Place envisions its Firehouse #23 as a welcoming, accessible, and community-owned place to pursue its inclusive efforts toward equity for all.

From its beginning in 1964 as CAMP, Byrd Barr Place has been an integral presence in Seattle’s Central District.

Design & Construction Process

An improved food bank layout circulation forms a central, street-facing community room for foodbank queuing and cultural and educational functions for the community.

Improvements to the historic building included seismic upgrades, selective repointing, restoration of original wood windows, and ADA improvements as well as the addition of an elevator .

The design exposes an original timber truss, visually opening Byrd Barr Place’s new offices to the public while increasing access to daylight through borrowed light from existing skylights.