Unity

JPC + RAPT STUDIO CREATE AN OPEN, UNPOLISHED SPACE.

When Unity was looking for a new office space, they wanted something spacious and bright—a contrast to their existing space with a compact layout. The 9th and 10th floors of Lincoln Square South, which houses a mix of residential, retail, restaurant, and office space in the heart of downtown Bellevue, not only allowed them to double their square footage, but also provided an open, airy space with views of Seattle and Mount Rainier.

While the design concept was developed by Rapt Studio, based in San Francisco, we were brought onboard locally to ensure that the design was executed according to Unity’s vision. Working in tandem with Rapt, we helped Unity achieve an industrial aesthetic, which can be seen clearly in the striking communicating staircase. Because access from the 9th floor was limited, we, working in tandem with Rapt, exposed the structure by hanging it from the 10th floor. Raw, unfinished, blackened steel is distilled down to its most basic elements—a folded plate supported by exposed steel members—to create an open, unpolished space.