King County government is tasked with providing high-quality services and protecting the places that make its region special. From human services and the health of the community to running buses, and creating housing for people of all incomes, King County government is entrusted with serving the public and–over the long haul–making sure that things the government touches are left in a better state for future generations.
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Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards 2025
King County Civic Ground
Urban Design (Concept)
Firm
Northwest Studio
Architect/Designer
Aaron Young, David Cutler
Design Team
Aaron Young, David Cutler, Brian Nguy, Saba Rostami-Shirazi, Matthew Fujimoto
Location
Seattle, Washington
Country
United States
Photographer/Copyright
©Luxigon LA courtesy of Northwest Studio
But at this moment, King County employees find themselves striving to maintain high levels of service in buildings that no longer support their work. The county operates a courthouse that is over a century old that no longer meets courts services needs, office buildings that are in desperate need of repair, a shuttered 1960s administration building, a low-sire parking garage, and an obsolete jail—a remnant of punitive building design—that must be reimagined. The county’s need presents challenging questions. What kinds of buildings support contemporary county services? Where should these be located? How do new facilities break from the assumptive models of past eras?
The county government’s current home base is spread out across numerous blocks in the urban core that constitute some of the most desirable real estate in the region, but the area is stagnant. This historic area, nestled between several vibrant and growing neighborhoods, can be so much more. In a post-Covid environment, with dramatic changes to centers of commerce led largely by remote and hybrid work, policy makers and the public are pondering the purpose of major metropolitan environments in the United States and beyond. What can a city provide for the public? What opportunities do policymakers have to revitalize and reinvigorate downtown urban centers? As stewards of the county’s resources, the county government has committed to the people it serves to do something better, to shape a future that serves the people who will call this place home for decades to come.
From a neighborhood composed entirely of government offices, this area can be transformed into a 24-hour neighborhood with capacity to include housing for people of all incomes and backgrounds. It can offer gathering spaces, retail, restaurants, and offices that reflect the realities of living and working in a major metropolitan environment today.
The King County Civic Ground project outlines new, contemporary buildings and public spaces for county employees, service providers, residents, and visitors while transforming a neighborhood composed entirely of government offices into a 24-hour neighborhood with the capacity to include housing for people of all incomes and backgrounds, with gathering spaces, retail, restaurants, and offices that reflect the realities of living and working in a major metropolitan environment today.