Norm Dicks Government Center

The main client objective with the Norm Dicks Government Center was to establish a space where government is accessible to its citizens. The design required a strategy that would consolidate facilities for city, regional, and federal government, while helping to strengthen the vitality of Bremerton’s urban core.

The first response was to create a sense of openness throughout the space with extensive glazing that allows daylight to penetrate deep into the offices. The effect makes the workplace more comfortable, while easing the building’s energy consumption by reducing the need for artificial lighting.

Transparency becomes a motif throughout the interior. Upon entering the building, a central 2,500 square foot community meeting room dominates the lobby, surrounded by joined strips of glass that provide enclosure while also making the proceedings perfectly visible. The public shares the building’s expansive views of the city and the water from all sides via circulation routes around the perimeter of each floor, as well as a glass-enclosed staircase that is an attractive alternative to the elevator.

Location

Bremerton, Washington

Status

Completed 2004

Size

100,000 sf

Related Links

• > Expertise: Cultural & Civic Projects
• > Related Project: Edmonds Center for the Arts
• > Related Project: McIntyre Hall
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