Commercial Office Interiors
W.G. Clark Lobby
Commercial interiors for the lobby of a construction company with over 100 years of local history.
When a local construction company with over 100 years of history, W.G. Clark, took over this landmarked midcentury office building in Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood, they renovated the space, then brought us on board to help with the design of their new lobby. With construction in the building nearly complete when we began, our challenge was to design within the shell to create a “midcentury-modern-adjacent” style — minimalist, but with a sophisticated, professional feel highlighting the honest materials of the construction trade. A Pacific Northwest Modern materials palette was the perfect fit for a company using those very materials locally for so many years.
Though the building is composed of vaulted spaces with glazed gable ends, access to natural light in the lobby area was limited. Plus, the landmark status meant that adding additional new light fixtures would be a challenge. So, finding a way to let in as much natural light as we could, was key to creating a space that didn’t feel gloomy or suffer from glare.
Creative Lobby
The lobby is composed of a variety of contrasting materials — from wood, to steel, and concrete — encompassing a breadth of construction materials in a refined, business-professional setting. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Creative Lobby
The lobby is composed of a variety of contrasting materials — from wood, to steel, and concrete — encompassing a breadth of construction materials in a refined, business-professional setting. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Celebrating the Vault
The vaulted, exposed ceilings of the landmarked building help distribute natural light equally throughout the space. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Celebrating the Vault
The vaulted, exposed ceilings of the landmarked building help distribute natural light equally throughout the space. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Wooden Backdrop
When closed, a wood panel wall creates visual separation between the lobby and conference room. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Wooden Backdrop
When closed, a wood panel wall creates visual separation between the lobby and conference room. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Pivoting Partitions
Wooden louvers can be closed for privacy in the conference room, or they can be left open to increase natural light in the lobby. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Pivoting Partitions
Wooden louvers can be closed for privacy in the conference room, or they can be left open to increase natural light in the lobby. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Off the lobby, a conference room was filled with natural light, confined within the room by solid walls. To allow the light to flow into the lobby, we designed sculpted, solid wood louvers within a tempered glass case to replace the solid partition wall. When visual privacy is required, the wood louvers pivot to close, while the glass case ensures acoustical privacy. For the reception desk, we designed a custom piece requiring and highlighting the careful coordination of multiple materials — something that is reflective of W.G. Clark’s specialty in high-end construction.
Finally, behind the reception desk, we composed a feature wall of backlit vintage construction tools — a nod to the company’s long history. To source the tools, our team got their hands dirty, sifting through boxes and boxes of old, rusty tools to curate the final collection to be mounted and highlighted as “museum pieces” in the lobby.
In many projects, a significant portion of the design is about layout out the geometry and lines of a space. But with the layout already in place, this project was all about making the details shine with carefully-chosen, high-quality, natural materials, then framing them and giving them the breathing room to shine with beautiful craftsmanship.
Worlds Collide
Carefully selected materials for finishes, like the dark wooden louvers and leather chairs, help elevate the space and meld the nature of construction work with a polished business space. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Worlds Collide
Carefully selected materials for finishes, like the dark wooden louvers and leather chairs, help elevate the space and meld the nature of construction work with a polished business space. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Right at Home
Classic furniture pieces look at home in the historic midcentury building. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Right at Home
Classic furniture pieces look at home in the historic midcentury building. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Tools of the Trade
The statement wall behind the reception desk is truly the star of the show, composed of curated vintage hand tools. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Tools of the Trade
The statement wall behind the reception desk is truly the star of the show, composed of curated vintage hand tools. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Signage
The company name is cut into a metal panel wall, backlit for an eye-catching glow. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Signage
The company name is cut into a metal panel wall, backlit for an eye-catching glow. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Floating Desk
The wood top of the desk “floats” above the heavier concrete base. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Floating Desk
The wood top of the desk “floats” above the heavier concrete base. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Material Palette
The layering of materials and is reminiscent of finish swatches – common tools of the trade. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Material Palette
The layering of materials and is reminiscent of finish swatches – common tools of the trade. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Concrete Details
The textural board-formed concrete of the front desk demonstrates the skills of craftsmen in the trade. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Concrete Details
The textural board-formed concrete of the front desk demonstrates the skills of craftsmen in the trade. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Woodworking Details
Traditional joinery at the wood slab corner highlights the craftsmanship of fine carpentry. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Woodworking Details
Traditional joinery at the wood slab corner highlights the craftsmanship of fine carpentry. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Custom Touches
Large format floor tile is custom cut to give way to smaller diamond tiles in a classic three-dimensional cube pattern. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Custom Touches
Large format floor tile is custom cut to give way to smaller diamond tiles in a classic three-dimensional cube pattern. W.G. Clark Lobby | Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Notes & Credits
This project was built by W.G. Clark and Marian Built.
Ben Cruzat crafted the solid wood pieces and L-shaped top of the reception desk.
Shout out to Mike Marian at Marian Built for the design and construction of the operable mechanism for the louvers, the metal panel fastening system, and for the mounting mechanisms for the vintage tools.
Photography by Tina Witherspoon.
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Our design services encompass architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture, with teams specializing in projects across the spectrum, from single-family homes to multifamily and mixed-use buildings, and from boutique commercial spaces to civic spaces, like parks. We love designing the integrated fabric of structures, spaces, and places that create vibrant neighborhoods.
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