Office: Graham Baba Architects | ArchDaily

Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge / Graham Baba Architects

Andreas Luco — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 15:00:00 +0000

At the Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge in SeaTac International Airport, the door is always open. Travelers seek lounges as an escape from the anxiety, noise, and commotion of the concourse. Traditionally, airport lounges catered to this desire by emphasizing exclusivity: sleek, business-oriented safe havens that prioritized the needs of a privileged swath of travelers. Alaska Airlines sought to transform the lounge typology by providing a warm, welcoming space where all guests could find refuge – to relax, work, refuel and connect – a home-away-from-home with a sense of place deeply rooted in the Pacific Northwest. Programmatically, the lounge is conceived in four zones: Come In, an approachable entry; Help Yourself, a casual bistro; Take a Breath, a haven for peaceful relaxation; and Cut Loose, a cozy bar atmosphere. Lightly separated with an array of oak and twisted metal screens, the spaces flow together.

The Klotski Building / Graham Baba Architects

Andreas Luco — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 19:00:00 +0000

The Klotski is a three-story, mixed-use infill building situated in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Close to downtown, the area is noted for its dynamic mix of commercial, manufacturing, and residential uses. Reflecting the eclectic vibrancy and gritty nature of the neighborhood, the 10,041-square-foot CMU and steel-framed building houses a beer hall, an office, a maker space, a studio, and a small caretaker’s apartment. Riffing on the idea of shifting uses and planes, the design takes its visual cue from a sliding tile puzzle, also known as a klotski, where the object is to rearrange tiles to solve the puzzle. The puzzle is expressed on the south-facing exterior of the building through the use of 7’x10’ perforated metal screens. The screens slide up and down, enabling users to change the screens position for sun shading and privacy, and in response to seasonal variations in daylight.

Block 41 / Graham Baba Architects

Rayen Sagredo — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 17:00:00 +0000

Located in the downtown Seattle neighborhood of Belltown, Block 41 celebrates the legacy of an historic warehouse while transforming it into a contemporary, multipurpose event space. The 15,000-square-foot, two-story, brick-and-heavy-timber building began its life in 1927 as an ice warehouse. Over the years it was subject to multiple renovations and modifications, resulting in the fragmentation of the building’s large volumes into a series of dark and maze-like rooms. The new design highlights the building’s history by stripping away later insertions and partitions to reveal its hard-won patina, while simultaneously opening up the volumes to create spaces large enough for formal events, yet flexible enough to accommodate intimate gatherings.

325 Westlake / Graham Baba Architects

Rayen Sagredo — Sun, 09 Sep 2018 17:00:00 +0000

Part arts initiative and part residential development, 325 Westlake merges old and new structures to create a building that preserves the character of the existing building and the site, while ensuring its continued usefulness. Rents from the residential development fund MadArt, an arts initiative focused on connecting emerging artists with the community in unexpected ways. MadArt, which runs the studio space occupying the storefront, makes it possible to engage with art and artists every day, making artists and residents richer through their programmatic partnership.

The Hangar at Kenmore Town Square / Graham Baba Architects

Pilar Caballero — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 11:00:00 +0000

The 4,600-square-foot Hangar and 24,000-square-foot Town Square provide a year-round focal point and a symbolic living room for the city. Located in the heart of downtown, the complex touches upon the primal notions of gathering, creating a venue for passive and active recreation while ensuring a home for nature in the rapidly growing community. The Hangar, conceived as a pavilion, is designed to morph depending upon weather or functional requirements.

Tectonic / Graham Baba Architects

Antonia Cayupe — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 14:00:00 +0000

Tectonic, a digital experience design studio, desired an open workspace that satisfied their simple office requirements while simultaneously providing space for entertainment—a union of work and relaxation. The modest 2,738-square-foot office space is located on the fourth floor of a six-story, mixed-used building in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

The Studios / Graham Baba Architects

Valentina Villa — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 18:00:00 +0000

The Studios is a 10,000-square-foot venue dedicated to the disciplines of acting, dance, and music. Occupying two floors of the historic Carl Gould-designed Times Square Building (constructed in 1916), the project transforms a dated, street-level retail space and basement into a bustling community and arts educational center. Composed of seven rentable studios, The Studios was established to fill a city-wide void in state-of-the-art space for rehearsals, auditions, readings, recording sessions, and performances.

Cowiche Canyon Kitchen and Icehouse Bar / Graham Baba Architects

Valentina Villa — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 17:00:00 +0000

The first half of the 20th-century was a time of growth and dignity for downtown Yakima. Presidents Roosevelt and Taft visited the emerging agricultural center where the main street featured fountains, grand theaters, and stately, multi-story brick-and-masonry buildings. By mid-century, however, most of these structures had been demolished to make way for parking lots as businesses struggled to keep their downtown relevant and residents fled to the suburbs.

Building 115 / Graham Baba Architects

Kelly Minner — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 01:00:00 +0000

The design goal of Graham Baba Architects of Building 115 was to acknowledge the unique site requirements, provide a unique solution to housing in an urban core, and to have a close collaboration with the client, contractor, and architect. The resulting mixed-use building includes 1 retail space, 2 commercial offices, and 1 residential unit. Building 115 recently received a 2010 AIA Seattle Honor Commendation Award.

Kolstrand Building / Graham Baba Architects

Kelly Minner — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The Kolstrand Building is an adaptive reuse of a 1910 marine supply building in the industrial neighborhood of Ballard. The upgraded building stretches the urban core south with a mix of new services: offices, retail and restaurant space. (1 retail/cafe, 3 restaurants, 4 commercial offices, and 1 wine storage) The goal of adaptive reuse of the historically significant building is to preserve a vernacular that is quickly disappearing in Ballard.