About the Project

This project provided for seismic retrofit and code required fire/life safety system upgrades to the existing historic King County Courthouse.

While the ceiling space was open and the building partially unoccupied, it was prudent to undertake, concurrently, a number of planned capital improvement projects. These included upgrading the HVAC system, telecommunications infrastructure and court room security.

Existing Courthouse Structure

The King County Courthouse is a historic concrete frame building located in downtown Seattle. Constructed in 1914, the orginial building was 6 stories high. The orginial foundation design was for a 23 story office tower in the centeral core area. A 1929 addition brought the building to its current 12 stories with a total height of approximately 215 feet. This addition created 6 more stories of courtroom and office space with a mechanical penthouse level. Numerous smaller renovations have occurred over the years, including the addition of an interstitial floor at 1A in the 1960's.