Umoja Biopharma HQ
Umoja - 1150 Eastlake Avenue East
Where Science Stays Visible
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Bringing a Scientific Community Together
Umoja Biopharma's headquarters was designed to unite scientists, researchers, leadership, and support staff within a single environment after years of working remotely or across dispersed laboratory locations. Occupying three contiguous floors of the purpose-built 1150 Eastlake building in Seattle's Life Sciences district, the 86,000-square-foot headquarters merges laboratory and workplace environments into one space centered on communication, transparency, and collaboration.
DESIGN CONCEPT
Inspired by the Nurse Log Ecosystem
The design draws its central narrative from the Pacific Northwest's nurse log ecosystem — a fallen tree that decomposes to support new generations of forest life. Each of Umoja's three floors reflects a different stage of that cycle, expressed through curved wood walls, shifting materials, and color that changes from level to level.
LAB + WORKPLACE
Making Science Visible
Unlike many laboratory environments, Umoja's headquarters keeps science in view. A curved laboratory wall, punctuated by glazed relites, lets researchers stay connected to daylight, gathering spaces, and the surrounding office environment — while employees and visitors maintain a direct visual line into the work happening inside.
The heart of every floor is a shared gathering hub positioned opposite the curved lab wall. Conference rooms tucked behind the feature wall create a layered sense of discovery as people move through the space, while dining and social areas invite scientists, staff, and visitors to interact throughout the day.
MATERIALITY
Rooted in the Pacific Northwest
Locally sourced wood, sustainable laminated veneer lumber, and cork flooring that crosses seamlessly between lab and office space reinforce the sense that Umoja's science and workplace operate as a single ecosystem. Large-scale plantings extend that biophilic language throughout the headquarters.
RESULT
One Ecosystem, By Design
The result is a headquarters where people, science, and place operate as a single connected ecosystem — bringing together a once-distributed community under one roof, in a space built to make discovery visible.
