LMN Architects is a Seattle based firm, founded in 1979. Their broad multi-disciplinary spectrum including Architecture, Interior Design, Urban Design, and Design Research, with project teams commonly comprising elements of each. Known for generous, enriching civic design in the public and private realms, LMN’s projects are always different, but share a common approach to how they work for people – whether in a campus, city, neighborhood, or workplace.
Here are 15 projects by LMN Architects, that reflect their design philosophy.
1. Washington State University Plant Sciences Building (Pullman, Washington)
The common approach of LMN Architects is to feel connected with immediate surroundings wherever you are. This project reflects this parallel most strongly. The building possesses vernacular architecture with a unique, new approach. High-performance precast concrete façade panel system is integrated for its structure, insulation and weather-barrier characteristics and an expressive treatment with sculpted red brick veneer is surfaced over it. The undulating brick pattern casts dramatic shadows and animates the façade throughout the day. On entering, one witnesses a 4-floor staircase strongly evoking the visual connection of all floors through vertical circulation. The centralized social spaces within the communal core are programmed to fuel collaboration.
2. Tobin Centre for the Performing Arts (San Antonio, Texas)
San Antonio’s most beloved architectural icon, completed in 2014, was surely intended well to be designed for the future. A world-class, dynamic performance venue and gathering place has a room that can rapidly change seating and stage geometry, lighting, colors, and acoustics to suit the unique objectives and qualities of varied performances. This remarkable feature gave the space endless possibilities to attract new audiences and innovative programming. The project reflects highest standard of design, construction, economics, planning and management. The exterior metal panel system is weaved to create a consistent backdrop to the iconic historic building, overall composing a contemporary ambience.
3. Clemson University College of Business (Clemson, South Carolina)
A dual tower, 5-storey structure establishes a new destination for business education. Intended to create a think-tank environment for the users, like a modern workspace, a balanced blend of formal and informal space birthed in locally sourced or recycled materials. Honouring the past and looking to the future, the building’s brick façade respects its larger historic context, while modern construction technology allows for maximizing transparency. Both in and out of the classrooms, open spaces emphasize daylight and views and establish the outward focus and becomes a model of sustainability. The building is technology-rich to bring in immersive educational experience and that’s what make it stand out.
4. Hawai’i Convention Center (Honolulu, Hawaii)
Depicting the legendary spirit of aloha and the cultural diversity of Hawaii, this structure is best described luminous, a gem tucked in a tropical setting. The best of form, parallel to function is a blending state-of-art technology. The reinforcement of the connection to Hawaiin landscape brings the ecologically responsiveness in the space. It is a tiny eco-world in its own. The building captures abundant daylight due to open-to-sky spaces. The courtyards, waterfalls, fishponds and public terraces designed for active and passive use around the functional planning add to the vibrancy. Hawaii’s trade winds are captured well through a folded fabric roof “sails” while creating a dramatic civic presence.
5. Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion (Seattle, Washington)
Proposed to be completed in 2023, the new Ocean Pavilion will integrate a complex building into Seattle’s urban context. Guided by the Seattle Aquarium’s mission to inspire conservation of the marine environment, the new facility focuses o000n global stories like climate change and ocean acidification. This unparalleled platform shall serve as a magnificent centrepiece of the city’s waterfront acknowledging the interplay of human culture and thriving marine ecology. The exhibits within the pavilion are composed of 4 experiential zones. It also includes – the “Sharkalus”, a wing dedicated to sharks, offering views of the main exhibit from both plaza level and rooftop terrace.
6. Vancouver Convention Centre West (Vancouver, Canada)
The is the first convention centre to gain a huge recognition on achieving LEED Canada Platinum Certification. LMN has successfully developed a rich and diverse integration of building program and natural ecology in local culture as well as cultural context. The project is sensitively weaved into unified vision of sustainability. The exception design approach has created community experience, urban place and an eco-system benefitting aptly from the location. The iconic living roof is visible from the entire city identifying this project as the focal point of downtown riverfront. The topographic experience on interior is constantly connected to daylight and views.
7. Angel of the Winds Arena (Everett, Washington)
Located on a constrained site in the heart of Downtown Everett, a multi-purpose complex houses a 10,000-seat-capacity concert hall and an 8,000-seat hockey arena with club seating, suites, and a-state-of-art support facilities and public amenities. The building takes full advantage of steep sloped site and is also adaptable for hockey, football, basketball, trade shows and concerts. The main areas also contain a split-level seating bowl and a community ice-rink. It can either operate simultaneously or be interconnected. The distinct suspended roof of the structure accommodating heavy rigging loads becomes a dramatic civic landmark.
8. ShoWare Center (Kent, Washington)
The project was chosen from over 100 nominees for demonstrating leadership, innovation, and commitment to sustaining the environment as it is constructed to LEED Gold Certification Standards. The site possesses various tactics as stormwater management and recharging nearby wetlands with roof rainwater runoff. The intimate design possessing flexible scale becoming an ideal venue for wide range of events such as concerts, family shows, professional and exhibition, sports, tradeshows, community gatherings and more. The atmosphere is electric, literally. Green lines painted on the ground and trimmed with LEDs radiate out from the glazed public concourse. Fundamentally designed for the people, the building is constructed with use of local and recycled materials.
9. Downtown Seattle Hotel (Seattle, Washington)
This hotel is a transformative project for the Pacific Northwest and is a contemporary composition of pure geometric forms levitating over a transparent and inviting public space at the base of the building. It directly connects with the city with its open and active lower levels. Building’s minimal material palette is composed on the exterior with white concrete panels and structure-glass walls. This expresses the composition of public and private spaces while reinforcing the connectivity with the city beyond. Project notably adds to the artwork within Seattle’s landscape and redefines the role of large urban hotel.
10. Asian Art Museum Expansion and Renovation (Seattle, Washington)
The seamless integration of spectacular site with museum’s mission – to showcase Asian art in conjunction with contemporary educational and conservation spaces, modernizes the space to be structurally sound and meet the code requirements. The programmed spaces are planned brilliantly and the volumes are interconnected by circulation. Providing abundant daylighting to the octagonal galleries using light boxes built into the ceiling that emulate natural daylight. Reflecting a complex organization of requirements, the museum integrates nature, architecture, history and art on a poetic and intimate scale by providing the space for deeper explorations of the diverse, artistic, and cultural traditions of Asia.
11. Vashon Center for the Arts (Vashon Island, Washington)
This one-storey building was the first and probably only dedicated performing arts facility at Vashon Island. It houses an art-gallery, lobby area, dressing rooms, multi-purpose classroom, 300-seat capacity performance hall with an orchestra pit and catwalk system. Efficiently prompted by a tight site, the mechanical rooms are in the shoulders of the roof. The building has a central long gable roof hovering over the structure. Rain gardens and landscaped swales provide biofiltration for adjacent wetlands and the roof collects rainwater bringing in the sustainable factors. This vibrant and inviting centre of arts celebrates a distinct character of rural, yet sophisticated island community.
12. Salem Conference Centre (Salem, Oregon)
Conveniently located in the heart of Salem’s downtown, this building houses 200-room hotel, 300 stalls of underground shared parking, more than 12,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting rooms and a 12,000 sq. ft. ballroom/exhibit area. The conference centre throughout employs natural ventilation of public lobby and circulation spaces. The project promotes the pedestrian-friendly environment of downtown by incorporating a long indoor public gallery. Deep roof overhangs and sun-control window elements to minimize heat gain are incorporated. This conference centre is a dramatic presence in the community, with an open, inviting character, suitable for multiple uses.
13. Norm Dicks Government Centre (Bremerton, Washington)
This building proved not only to be symbolic of positive change for the city of Bremerton, but it is both immediately functional and a catalyst for further development. A visually interesting mix of materials that include precast and glass, as well as Alucobond Plus Aluminium composite material (ACM) in PVDF finishes. Sensitivity to the surrounding context through architecture landscape and streetscape design will integrate the centre into the surrounding community while providing an identity that is characteristic of an important, civic building. A sense of openness throughout the space is achieved with extensive glazing allows daylight to penetrate deep into offices.
14. Duke Energy Convention Center Expansion and Renovation (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Located in a beautiful river valley surrounded by green hills the centre is in a compact and fairly dense downtown core. It was designed with an intention to give people a sense that they are in a facility that is different from any other convention centre in the world. The glass walls provide expansive views of the skyline and the Ohio river. To embellish its presence at threshold of the urban core, the west faced integrates public art and architecture with a series of metal panels set at angle to form the world “Cincinnati” in 50-ft. tall letters. From a city scale perspective, the glistering letters is an iconic gesture and a marvellous job for capturing the sense of the city.
15. Washington State Convention Center Addition (Seattle, Washington)
As a catalyst for revitalizing and reconnecting Seattle’s neighbourhoods, the successful integration will be basis of rich, unique and urban experiences that this project shall bring to the city. The project includes 2 adjacent blocks of mixed-use co-development. It will engage the urban form at all of its 15 levels while the façade presents highly interactive, transparent edge, blurring boundaries of the city context and building program. The façade will comprise glass curtain wall with iconic elements to both showcase the architecture design as well as compliment the fabric of the downtown area. Each program component embraces natural light and are connected vertically through 2 large atriums.
