Denny Substation

Practice Area

Client

Seattle City Light

Industry

  1. Identity signage for the Denny Substation appears as if it extrudes from the multi-faceted building façade, providing a moment of surprise and discovery. Photo Credit: Eric LeVine

  2. Bright yellow wayfinding signage with playful icons direct people to public art and community spaces. Photo Credit: Sean Airhart

  3. This supergraphic communicates the utility’s commitment to social equality. It is composed of the Seattle City Light mission, translated into nine languages of communities served. Photo Credit: Sean Airhart

  4. Light sculptures made of glass and LEDs encourage public interaction. Multiple people touching the sculptures at once causes them to glow brighter. Photo Credit: Benjamin Benschneider

  5. Public Posts were designed to encourage interaction among the community. This post, in the dog park, is also a communication tool for Parks & Recreation. Photo Credit: Sean Airhart

  7. This infographic describes the path of hydroelectricity as it moves from the rivers in Washington to the Denny Substation; an educational tool for all ages. Photo Credit: Sean Airhart

  8. Interior graphics highlight net-positive building performance while challenging the public to exercise sustainability every day. Photo Credit: Sean Airhart

Project Vision

Substations are critical to a city’s power supply, but they are often eyesores. The Denny Substation, which is the first Seattle substation to be built in 30 years, is positioned to usher in a new paradigm of urbanism by engaging its citizens with public infrastructure. Seattle City Light is set to be the nation’s greenest utility, fully integrated educational information intends to promote this as well as the facility’s commitment to environmental and social equity.

Public benefit at the Denny Substation includes 44,000 square feet of open space that activates the neighborhood including an off-leash dog park and a 0.25-mile walking loop. This public space is for the benefit of the neighborhood. People play checkers, meet up at the dog park, and walk the quarter-mile path daily.

The public space creates an educational venue through curated moments, telling the story of Seattle City Light, its history, and the city’s focus on sustainability. This is achieved by connecting multiple experiences throughout the space. Through the use of graphics, sculpture, and signage, a vibrant and active space has been created for the community to enjoy and makes it fun and easy for visitors to learn about hydroelectric power production in the Northwest.

Capitalizing on the unique architecture of the Denny Substation, signage forms and graphics were inspired by the futuristic building shape. Signage and sculpture materials were chosen to complement the glass and metal facade. Windows that allow a public view of the inner workings of the substation provide surface area for informative graphics that show Seattle City Light’s ongoing commitment to environmental and social equity in the community, and how the utility company is considered the greenest in the nation.

The Denny Substation uniquely provides spaces for people to not only view the inner-workings of the substation, but also to meet, play, and enjoy outdoor art. Fully integrated EGD with the architecture and interiors, communicate Seattle City Light’s mission and commitments to sustainability and equity. Designed to inform people now, and for generations to come, visitors will understand that our land not only sustains our life but also inspires it.

Project Details
Design Team

Samuel Stubblefield, Eric LeVine (principals in charge), Cari Scotkin (project manager), Christina Sakura, Bryan Berg, April Soetarman, Joel Fariss, Chuong Tonnu, Olin Nespor, Mara Stokke (designers)

Project Area

100,000 sq ft

Fabricators

Trade-Marx Signage & Display Company (lead fabricator)