Owner : Northwest Federal

Architect : Miller Hull Partnership

Consultants : Tom Paladino (sustainable design), Sidney Genette (Lighting)

(Northwest Federal Credit Union Experts from Architectural Record 06.97) "Though it is merely a bank branch and office building, the NW Federal Credit Union by Seattle's Miller Hull Partnership, has a dignity and presence unprecedented by its 40,000 sf. program, its modest budget, or it site. NW is a credit union for federal government employees in the Puget Sound area, and most of its nine other branches are without architectural identity, being invisibly accommodated in sprawling federal buildings or compounds. The north Seattle site was chosen because of the ever-northward growth of the metro area, and the need for NW Federal Credit Union to create a headquarters identity independent of specific federal government workplaces.

Miller Hull was selected as designer largely because of its established expertise in green architecture, not just in terms of energy efficient, minimum impact construction, but, broadly considered, a healthy and stimulating work environment.  According to key client representative and NW Vice President of Finance, John Zmolek, " Our board was committed to demonstrate Green Building principles."

The scaled porch and brises soleil that dominate the east and south elevations are not only a visual marriage of attitudes toward the natural and the urban environment. In addition, to being a crucial part of the day lighting strategies for the lobby, they reduce the summer solar gain (the third floor is not even air conditioned and glare, while inviting the low, southern light of winter.  These gestures meet with initial resistance for the client and Kathleen Scott, the project manager appointed to represent the client's interests.  But the details survive the rigors of cost accounting.  The elevations facing the cemetery and ravine are orthogonal and severe.  The lack of shading here recognizes the need to draw northern light on the many glowering raincoat days and the screening by trees of the low, western, afternoon light.

...Office spaces for NW Federal Credit Union are open and airy with a small number of private offices set along the service core at the center of the plan.  This reverses the conventional office-building layout, but is readily accepted by credit-union executives because of the quality and quantity or their borrowed natural light and views.  Steel joists, lighting fixtures, and mechanical runs are largely exposed, both to cut costs and as a part of the daylighting strategy.

The daylighting scheme was tested and revised through design development by Tom Paladino, the sustainability consultant.  The external horizontal sunshades made of steel grating are supplemented inside the glass line by horizontal light shelves which further reduce glare as well as soften and extend interior distribution of natural light. These design features permit interior direct and indirect fluorescent and task lighting to average only 0.85 watt per sq. ft (compared to many conventional structures that average well over 1 watt per sq. ft), and many of these are set on photo-sensor lighting controls for automatic dimming when daylighting is sufficient.  The design was awarded a special citation by Bonneville Power Administration, operable windows permit natural ventilation in the third floor, training and board rooms, and in the lobby.  The HVAC system has a night flushing cycle that draws out daytime heat accumulated by the concrete slab floors, in the process also improving indoor-air quality by diluting off-gasses and day to day pollutants.  All of this meant energy loads could be designed 30 percent below already strict Washington state standards.  Building materials such as steel, insulation, and fly ash in the concrete, were also selected for their recycle content.

Architectural Record 06.97 pp.140-143