A Timeless Structure Where Past Meets Present, State Meets Citizenry, and Place Meets Policy
Newhouse Replacement Building
The Newhouse Building has been a part of the State’s campus since 1934, and due to several life-safety and seismic issues, needed to be replaced.
Hoffman demolished and replaced the Irving R. Newhouse Building as part of the Washington State Capitol Campus Legislative Modernization project (LCM). The office building was constructed in 1934 and had significant health and life safety hazards. The new four-story building is a high-performing, and energy-efficient facility providing space for Senate member offices, support functions, and caucus; Senate administration; Legislative Ethics; the joint legislative page school; and Senate security and legislative support services.
Project Story
Integration into the Capitol Campus
Newhouse is representative of a time-honored national process where legislation is made and state administration carried out, and the design is aimed to emphasize this magnitude while also accommodating the kind of functionality needed in any modern workplace.
The replacement contains four-stories of senate suites, caucus offices, a public meeting space, classrooms for high school students for public process and legislature education, and flexible space that can be used and rented by different groups. A centralized four-story stairwell illuminated by a skylight will thread these floors together, connecting spaces and departments, and becoming a mixing chamber in which faculty and statesmen can have impromptu collaborations.
Honoring the Past Through Thoughtful Reuse
This project carries forward the legacy of the original campus through deliberate, materials-based preservation.
Hoffman fully deconstructed the old Press Houses and reclaimed their structural lumber, integrating it into the new building to maintain a physical connection to the site’s history. We also salvaged façade stone, along with marble and glazing from the previous Newhouse building, and incorporated these elements into the interior and exterior finishes. The result is a modern facility that respects its past, with historic materials woven directly into the fabric of the new space.
Precision Timber Construction
Dowel Laminated Timber (DLT) projects require additional precision and coordination to achieve success. By leveraging our in-house BIM capabilities, we effectively navigated challenges, enhanced the schedule, and delivered exceptional outcomes.
