Novo Nordisk Seattle Inflammation Research Center
Novo Nordisk Seattle Inflammation Research Center
Scandinavian Design, Pacific Northwest Context
BA began working on Seattle Genetics' (now Pfizer) Bothell campus in 2018 to implement the company's new workplace strategy. Building 10, a 44,000-square-foot facility home to 165 staff, became the first test of that strategy, integrating social areas, spaces for reprieve, and traditional open and private office typologies into a series of experimental neighborhoods. Completed between 2020 and 2021, the project became a proof of concept that helped establish a framework for future workplace projects across the campus.
“The challenge was reconciling a Danish parent company’s minimalist design language with a Seattle research staff’s desire for privacy, storage, and individuality.”
A DANISH WELCOME
Scandinavian at the Elevator Lobby
A crisp band of glowing art glass in corporate blue, set off by white walls and a charcoal tiled floor, greets visitors as they step off the elevators. A bamboo ceiling plane adds a warm counterpoint, traveling down a wall to form the backdrop for a reception desk fabricated of translucent acrylic. Classic lounge chairs designed by Danish architect Arne Jacobsen punctuate the waiting area.
A DANISH WELCOME
Blues and Greys, Borrowed From Water and Sky
Staff wanted visual privacy and color, and the design answers with a pattern of blues and greys that evokes regional water and sky imagery while reinforcing the client’s corporate identity. A meaningful quotation provided by staff members was incorporated into the relite design adjacent to their office. Continuous bands of floor-to-ceiling glass let natural light and surrounding views reach deep into the interior, using a GREENGUARD-certified glass storefront system that can be reused in future reconfigurations.
LABS WITH A VIEW
Sunsets for More Than a Few
Laboratories sit along the western half of the building to capitalize on downtown and mountain views. Because the labs are open to circulation routes and other support areas, those views and western sunsets reach a larger number of people than is typical for similar facilities. Exterior sun screens mediate the daylight, and with light wall and ceiling surfaces, they significantly reduce the need for supplementary lighting.
A LIGHTER FOOTPRINT
Built for a Lighter Material Footprint
In response to both the client’s and the region’s environmental sensibilities, the design team took several steps. Indoor air quality is improved through additional air changes beyond code requirements, low-VOC paints and adhesives, and formaldehyde-free door and casework substrates. Carpet tiles, bamboo ceiling panels, rubber gym flooring, and epoxy resin lab worksurfaces were chosen for their high recycled or renewable content. Doors and furniture are finished with reconstituted veneers, bringing a generous but environmentally responsible amount of wood into the workplace.
LOCAL BY DESIGN
Made Down the Road
Every decorative light fixture in the space was manufactured locally. A fully outfitted workout room and shower facilities sit inside the office, there for anyone who commutes by bike.
