Impact NW is well on its way to realizing a dream that began in 2014, when Mahlum chose them as the recipient of a pro bono master planning project. Having recently gone through a change of leadership and an intense period of growth and visioning, they wanted to turn attention to their numerous facilities and establish a long-term vision to maximize community benefit.

In 2013, the AIA Seattle Redesigning the School Lunch Ideas Competition provided a unique opportunity for our office to rethink the school dining experience, transforming an act of pure consumption into an opportunity for social-emotional learning, developing both sympathy and empathy. School dining today has been reduced to an efficient feeding machine—a mechanized transaction focused on meal volumes and seat capacities.

JoAnn and Kurt’s article was originally published digitally by Metropolis Magazine, then picked up by Arch Daily. Equity & Inclusion We believe that our facilities must provide equal access to academic, social, and community experiences, and we strive to eliminate the “invisible barriers” that may work against those goals. Inclusive design transcends barrier-free physical access […]