This four-story, 75-year-old domed capitol building houses the legislature and offices of state officials, including the governor. The primary design challenge involved taking the building apart; solving significant infrastructure, safety and security issues; and putting it back together as if nothing had happened. The project involved a detailed program and space usage analysis plus the integration of systems upgrades, including a new communications center for the entire campus and energy-savings solutions. The jury for the 2006 AIA National Honor Award commended it as “an ingenious approach to accommodate new systems and relocate programs within the context of the Secretary of Interior’s guidelines.”

Photo credits: Lara Swimmer Photography

Recognition

• AIA National
  Honor Award for Architecture, 2006
• Olympia Heritage Commission
  Historic Preservation Award, 2006
• AIA Washington
  Civic Design Honor Award, 2005
• WA State Historic Preservation Officer’s Award for Special Achievement, 2005
• AIA Eastern NY Honor Award, 2005