Mukilteo Research Station

The Mukilteo Research Station has been a center of marine pollution research, ecosystem recovery, and the conservation of endangered marine species for almost 40 years. The site stretches along the Mukilteo waterfront, and a key project goal is to revitalize the city’s waterfront with a new promenade linking the downtown to the new Washington State Ferry Terminal.

The 40,000 sf research lab includes wet labs, tank farms, a new seawater intake, research offices, collaborative work areas, and a pubic educational event space. The two-story structure steps back along Front Street to create a more pedestrian scale compatible with the historic downtown core, while the second floor cantilevers toward the north for expansive views over Puget Sound.

The sustainable design approach included a significant focus on reducing GHG emissions, including operational and embodied emissions.  We proposed to use a seawater-source heat pump paired with the seawater pumped through the building to heat and cool the incoming seawater as required for research needs, while an all-electric design eliminated fossil fuels on-site.

Credits: Steelblue