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THE PRITCHARD BUILDING

The Joel M. Pritchard Building, originally designed by architect Paul Thiry, was constructed in 1958. Situated south of the domed Legislative Building on the State of Washington Capital, Pritchard was the last addition to the Olmsted-designed campus and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building served as the Washington State Library until it was damaged by the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.

The Washington State legislature is rehabilitating the historic Pritchard Building and adding a new wing for House of Representatives offices. The project includes seismic/MEP systems upgrades and updated interiors to restore the building’s historic character and dignity. The existing historic portion is approximately 18,000 sf and the addition behind will add an extra 59,000 sf to the project. The building will be used for administrative functions to support the overall Legislative Campus, with a café, hearing rooms, retaining the historic reading room in the basement.

The Pritchard Building Rehabilitation and Expansion transforms a building that was mostly windowless book storage into a bright, welcoming legislative workspace. The existing building features a cast-in-place concrete frame, with the northern half extending one story above grade and the southern half comprising multiple stories that once served as library stacks. As part of the project, the southern half will be demolished to make way for a new, three story steel-framed structure. The retained northern portion, which includes a basement, will serve as the main public entry. Its façade consists primarily of punched windows connected to the concrete frame, with a stone-clad sill wall running between concrete columns. The renovation will include replacement of the first-floor windows, thoughtfully echoing the building’s original 1957 design.

The façade of the new addition features glazed curtain walls with punched window systems on the first level, GFRC (glass-fiber reinforced concrete), with terra cotta baguette screened curtain walls above.

Role

Core design team member for the historic landmark library renovation within the State of Washington Legislative Campus in Olympia, WA. Led the coordination efforts among mechanical, electrical, and lighting design teams, in addition to driving interior design decisions. Worked in collaboration to design and detail the new GFRC facade system.