The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP

Join AIA Seattle this month for a Mass Timber tour of our Newhouse Building Replacement. Constructed in 1934, the original building faced life-safety and seismic issues that required its replacement. Our design integrates the neo-classical style of the campus while incorporating elements specific to the Washington state region and resource stewardship, using state-sourced materials like mass timber to support an ecological footprint. The hybrid part-steel part-timber design features dowl-laminated timber (DLT), a product where acoustic materials are embedded into the wood, resulting in neat wooden strips threaded over one another. Miller Hull Architect Nick Clesi, AIA, and Japneet Pahwa will lead the tour with co-leaders from Lund Opsahl and Hoffman Construction Company. The tour takes place on July 20th and will begin at the Newhouse Building in Olympia before making its way to Milgard Hall at UW Tacoma. Click the link to learn more and register: https://bit.ly/4bqI89f. Client: Washington State Department of Enterprise Services Architect: The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP Contractor: Hoffman Construction Company Structural Engineer: Lund Opsahl Civil Engineer: Reid Middleton MEP Engineer: PAE Landscape Architect: Murase Associates Envelope : 4EA Building Science Security: Hohbach-Lewin Structural and Civil Engineers Lighting Designer: Dark Light Design Signage: Mayer/Reed, Inc. Vertical Transportation: The Greenbusch Group Transportation: Heffron Transportation, Inc. Acoustics: BRC Acoustics and Technology Consulting Building Code: Pielow Consulting Cost Estimating: JMB Consulting Group Historic Preservation: BuildingWork Photographer: Hoffman Construction Company

"What do you think?” Dave would always ask. "I don’t know… let’s try it,” Bob would respond. 

 Ever since the beginning, critical feedback has always been crucial to the work we do. Perhaps it’s because we were founded by Bob and David Miller, FAIA, two best friends whose admiration and respect for one another created a culture of not only an openness to input but an eagerness for it. In our latest Perspectives piece, we explore a cornerstone of our identity and culture that has advanced our projects in ways that would have otherwise been impossible. Click the link to read more about Design Panel: https://bit.ly/3zniWTO.

Miller Hull Project Manager and Associate, Claire Shigekawa Rennhack, AIA, PE, and GLY Construction Design-Build Senior Project Manager, Dana Johnson, DBIA, CM-Lean, shared lessons learned from our Progressive Design-Build pursuit and win for the Snohomish County, WA Food and Farming Center during DBIA Northwest Region’s and SMPS Seattle’s event, “Design-Build Done Right.” During the panel discussion, Claire shared insight on pursuing and winning Progressive Design-Build projects, making strategic partnerships with contractors, and building collaborative, successful, and healthy Design-Build teams. Thank you for the great event DBIA Northwest Region and SMPS Seattle! Food Infrastructure: Urban Patterns Structural: Coughlin Porter Lundeen Civil: KPFF Consulting Engineers Landscape Architect: HBB Landscape Architecture Geotechnical, Environmental, Hazardous Materials: Shannon & Wilson, Inc. Landfill: HWA GeoSciences Inc.

Children's Park has been selected as an Outstanding Architectural Design by San Diego Business Journal. The project transforms downtown San Diego’s existing park into a welcoming place for families to gather and play. In collaboration with Spurlock Landscape Architects, we created a structure that provides essential amenities such as bathrooms and storage, along with opportunities for businesses to serve visitors and commercially support the reinvigorated park. Programmatic spaces, including a new playground for children, adult exercise equipment, and a multi-use lawn area, add to the inclusiveness and multidisciplinary nature of the park. Client: The City of San Diego Design Architect & Architect of Record: The Miller Hull Partnership Landscape Architect: Spurlock Landscape Architects Thank you, San Diego Business Journal, for the recognition! Learn more about the award here, https://bit.ly/3L9zn8Y.

Santa Monica City Yards received an Honor Award for Public/Civic Design in the 2024 CMACN/AIACA Concrete Masonry Design Awards Competition. Hosted by the Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada and AIA California, the program recognizes outstanding architectural design that incorporates the use of concrete masonry within the building envelope. The redevelopment of the Santa Monica City Yards is an unobtrusive yet critical upgrade to the heart of operations for essential public works services in the City of Santa Monica. We incorporated concrete masonry units (CMU) into the FLEET Building, the ADMIN Building, and the new Fire Training Facility to strengthen the architectural style featured throughout the Yards. The refreshed character of the site and its facilities uses utilitarian elements and durable materials to reflect the nature of the work done by City Yards while elevating the industrial complex as a humane and sustainable, community amenity that all of Santa Monica can embrace. Thank you to the 2024 jury for this recognition! Learn more about the award here, https://lnkd.in/gDrDVMe8. Client: City of Santa Monica Architect: The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP Contractor: Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction CMU: Supplied by Angelus Block Co., Inc., Inc. and installed by Frank S. Smith Masonry, Inc.

We recently participated in a charity auction organized by Catalyst Workplace Activation, MillerKnoll, and Shaw Contract to benefit Lambert House LGBTQ+ Youth Community Center—a haven for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ+) youth. Alongside 11 other design and architecture firms, we “reimagined” tables from HAY Design, drawing inspiration from the individual panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and its themes of hope, courage, compassion, and love. We were inspired by human connection and the multifaceted way we see each other. Each person is made of many parts, and when each unique characteristic is embraced, they can be accepted as a whole. In our recreation of the Hay table, we created an anamorphic grid to display four selected quotes from LGBTQ+ centered activists, politicians, and poets: Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk, Audre Lorde, and Walt Whitman. As one walks around the table, they experience each quote, individually and together, coming in and out of focus.

Last week, Miller Hull Partner Brian Court, FAIA attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara, Mexico. The multi-building compound includes a new 11,400-square-meter office building, entry pavilions, support and utility buildings, recreational areas, and two 150-vehicle underground parking garages. Sustainable strategies exceed the Federal Performance Goals for energy efficiency and renewable energy, and a wastewater treatment plant will treat all of the facility’s wastewater and provide 100% of the site’s irrigation water demand. In response to climate drivers, the building is covered by our interpretation of the vernacular “palapa” shading device, which not only shades the building’s façade and secure outdoor areas but also provides the building a unifying civic gesture befitting its use. Learn more, https://bit.ly/3RImGWc. Client: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations Design Architect: The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP Architect of Record: Page General Contractor: BL Harbert International LLC Photographer: Kevin Scott

Last week, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar joined U.S. Consul General in Guadalajara Amy Scanlon, along with OBO Managing Director Richard Sullivan, Executive Director Shane Myers from the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Mission personnel, and Mexican officials, at the formal dedication of the new U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara. The new consulate in Guadalajara, which will formally begin offering services to the public later this summer, is an important physical representation of the long-term commitment to the U.S.-Mexico relationship and a permanent presence in the region. Throughout the project, an estimated $66 million was invested in the local economy, and more than 1,880 Mexican workers were employed during its construction. The new facility not only meets the operational needs of the diplomatic mission but also serves as a model of innovation and responsible development in international diplomacy. Features include: ➕ Increased number of consular windows to better serve visitors and expedite services, ➕ Advanced energy and water-efficiency measures, including solar panels, a wastewater treatment system, innovative storm water management, drip irrigation, and drought-tolerant, native landscaping, ➕ Vibrant art installations throughout, and   ➕ Outdoor overflow space shaded by natural palapas, paying homage to local traditions.  Learn more about the project here: https://lnkd.in/db2DHrR5 Design Architect: The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP  Construction: B.L. Harbert International, LLC Architect of Record: PAGE      The United States and Mexico have a consequential bilateral relationship, directly impacting the everyday lives of millions of U.S. and Mexican citizens, whether through trade, joint security, or tourism. This ribbon cutting is the first in a series of upcoming U.S. embassy and consulate project completions in Mexico.  Within similar timeframes, OBO has undertaken five major builds across Mexico:  four new consulate facilities located in Hermosillo, Guadalajara, Merida, and Nogales, and a new embassy in Mexico City. With existing U.S. presence in Ciudad Juarez, Matamoros, Tijuana, Monterrey, and Nuevo Laredo, the new locations will total 10 diplomatic facilities in Mexico, reflecting the momentum of our collaborative efforts.  Photo by Kevin Scott. U.S. Department of State #buildingdiplomacy #stateOBO #statedept #thediplomat #Mexico #Guadalajara #diplomacy

The 2023-24 ACE Washington chapter wrapped up another successful year, with 14 teams spanning Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue. ACE Mentor Program of America is an after-school program helping high school students learn about architecture, construction, and engineering from industry professionals. This year, 200+ industry professionals mentored almost 400 high school students in our chapter to create high-performing, community-focused hypothetical architectural projects. Miller Hull continued its partnership with ACE, hosting not one, but two teams this year. Julia May from our Seattle Studio and Mat Johnson PE, SE, LEED AP from Swenson Say Faget co-led the in-person team, with Jonathan Nelson and Akshay Srinivas serving as Miller Hull architectural mentors. Casey Riske, AIA continued his 17-year commitment to ACE, leading the first fully virtual team with Marjorie Anderson, who completed the circle from an ACE student to an ACE mentor. Both teams worked with excellent Seattle-based architectural, engineering, and construction professionals to mentor 35+ students. The teams re-envisioned a 1920s Capitol Hill church as the Library of the Future, providing reading areas, maker spaces, and indoor and outdoor community functions. The designs envisioned a future that prioritized sustainability and equity through building restoration and material reuse, environmental comfort through active and passive strategies, accessible spaces, and community programs to invite visitors from all walks of life. Lastly, two of our students, Micah Cholerton of Ballard High School, and Anhelina Melnychuk of Kent-Meridian High School were awarded scholarships to pursue architectural majors in college. Congrats to Micah and Anhelina for the scholarships, and the ACE team on another great year!

Discover how to ace International Living Future Institute's Living Building Challenge in the latest issue of Architectural Products, where Miller Hull Principal Margaret Sprug, AIA, and Associate Chris Hellstern, AIA, LFA, LEED AP, CDT, share challenges, lessons learned, and LBC-certified inspiration with the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. “While it’s not to say regenerative buildings aren’t beautiful, the aesthetics are a result of following natural principles. ‘Like a flower, each component of a building has to serve a purpose that contributes to an ecosystem that is in balance,’ explains Sprug. She urged designers whose architectural education may have encouraged bold forms and iconic style to approach living buildings without a lot of ego. ‘Our frame of mind has to be very humble when we come into a project. We can’t have a lot of hubris about how awesome this thing is going to look because we wanted to have a big architectural statement,’ she explains. The priority must remain on striking a balance between the building and the natural processes it’s part of. ‘That’s a very different way of thinking about a project and moving it forward,’ she adds.” Thank you, Jana Madsen and Architectural Products for the feature! Click the link to read the full article, https://bit.ly/3xlM8K6. Client: Georgia Institute of Technology Donor: The Kendeda Fund Architect: The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP Collaborating Architect and Prime Architect: Lord Aeck Sargent General Contractor: Skanska Landscape Architect: Andropogon Associates, Ltd. MEP Engineer: PAE and Newcomb & Boyd, LLP Greywater Systems: Biohabitats Civil Engineer: Long Engineering (an Atlas Company) Structural Engineer: Uzun + Case, LLC Photographer: Gregg Willett