As a premier international sustainable consulting company, Paladino’s commission to design their new office space demanded a bold rethinking of where and how materials for the space would be sourced, and how they could be ‘dismantled’ in the future. The lobbies on the second and fourth floors make bold visual statements about the people who work within - people who devote their lives to rethinking how we design and build in an age of diminishing resources.

Materials were sourced from local salvage shops and recycling bins of local retailers. The wood was ‘harvested’ from two local schools undergoing renovations and included mahogany from Garfield High School, and maple from Renton Community College gym. The wood was dismantled, stacked in pallets, and each piece was sanded and hand stained for reuse on site. The wood screens are fastened with easily visible screws or recycled plastic straps so that they can be dismantled without damaging the wood. Detailing was inspired by native longhouse construction, where cedar bark straps were used to hang cedar planks. Installation of the mahogany screens was accomplished with a joint owner/architect team in one evening. Together, we wove the refinished mahogany flooring to steel signposts with reclaimed plastic packing straps collected by the architect.

Office spaces were kept simple and open with recycled content finishes and energy efficient lighting/controls. Each space was completed in 5 weeks, on schedule and on budget. The project opened in September 2008. Construction cost was $168,000 or $25/sf. Project is seeking LEED-Silver certification.

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