Greenfire Campus Sustainable Community
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Seattle, WA
- Mixed-use campus featuring a 5-story apartment building with 18 homes and a 4-story, 18,000 SF office building with ground-level retail
- Integrated “live, work, eat” ecosystem designed for social and environmental sustainability
- Strong connection between the natural environment and daily life, including community spaces and P-patches for growing food
- High-performance sustainable systems including geothermal heating, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and green roofs
49K SF
2013
LEED Gold
Challenge
Delivering the Greenfire Campus required balancing a dense, mixed-use program within a constrained urban site in Ballard while advancing ambitious sustainability goals. Integrating residential, office, retail, and underground parking into a cohesive development added complexity, as did aligning multiple stakeholders, consultants, and regulatory requirements. Additionally, the project aimed to go beyond traditional green building strategies by creating an “urban ecosystem,” requiring careful coordination of innovative design, ecological systems, and constructability—all within budget and schedule constraints.
Solution
We led design and construction management on behalf of the owner, providing structure and coordination across all project components. Our team aligned stakeholders around the project’s sustainability vision, ensured integration between residential, commercial, and retail elements, and guided the incorporation of ecological design strategies into a buildable solution. Through proactive communication, disciplined oversight, and hands-on management of consultants and contractors, we maintained control of schedule, budget, and quality while advancing the project’s ambitious environmental goals.
Outcome & Impact
The Greenfire Campus stands as a forward-thinking mixed-use development that redefines sustainability in an urban setting. By blending housing, workplace, and retail with ecological design principles, the project creates a vibrant, community-oriented environment while reducing environmental impact. It demonstrates how thoughtful development can support both people and the planet, delivering a high-performing asset that contributes to the vitality and sustainability of the Ballard neighborhood.
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Project Partners
Johnston Architects
Architect
Walsh Construction
General Contractor
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