GSA Predesign Requirements Scope Out Problems on Federal Building

By Amy Rose Davis

Seattle - Built in 1974, the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building in downtown Seattle is the flagship building of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Northwest region.

In 2001, mechanical and structural systems upgrades were planned including: life safety and seismic upgrades, ADA bathrooms, elevator replacement, and plaza repair. The GSA chose contractor Howard S. Wright and the original building architects, DLR Group, to lead the renovation.

Work also included cleaning and repair of the brick plaza and irrigation lines. The brick plaza, often the site of organized marches and demonstrations, is frequently the stage on which citizens exercise their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and assembly. Attempting to preserve civilian rights to the space, building management and the contractor agreed to shut down only 25 percent of the plaza at any one time for repair, allowing the majority of the plaza to remain open to the public. 

“We had frequent unplanned interruptions,” says DLR spokesperson Keri DeTore. “but still completed the work on time.”

One of the purposes of the project was to beef up safety in case of attack, including a blast upgrade on the windows.

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In a building whose main architectural feature is the window pattern, that was a complicated job. “We were able to leave the glazing, but added a film over each window and reinforced the connections,” says Dan Peyovich, project manager with Howard S, Wright Construction Co., Seattle.  Smoke control meant reworking ductwork and creating emergency corridors so people would be able to evacuate safely in case of an emergency.

“Putting in ADA upgrades in all 72 bathrooms was also a chore,” says Peyovich. The elevators in all the buildings were upgraded and now have improved seismic bracing. “We re-weighted all the cars and put in new controllers,” says Peyovich. All the elevator rails were replaced and new brackets installed.

Preplanning was key to managing the project, Peyovich says. “The General Services Adminstration is making a big push in the design and development phases. We found 90 percent of the issues before construction started.”