Location: 1101 Westlake Ave N Seattle, WA, 98109
End Client: BioMed Realty
Completion: November 2025
1101 Westlake was conceived as an urban retreat – a place where the energy of South Lake Union meets the calm of Lake Union itself. Designed to support collaboration, wellness, and moments of pause throughout the day, the LEED Silver-certified building balances city convenience with lakeside tranquility through warm materials, abundant daylight, and amenity-driven shared spaces. QA Group was brought in to support this vision with custom seating that felt architectural, intentional, and fully integrated into the building’s design language.
Our scope focused on two large-scale, fully custom curved banquettes installed within shared interior zones on the main lobby floor, intended for rest, informal connection, and everyday use. Each banquette was engineered and fabricated to read as a single, continuous form rather than modular seating, reinforcing the calm, cohesive feel of the space. Measuring over 20 feet in length, both units were produced in multiple sections to allow for transport and fit through existing on-site doorways, then precisely ganged during installation to eliminate visible seams or breaks and present as a single, uninterrupted form once in place.
Material selection was central to the project’s success. Seating and backs were upholstered in a customer-provided fabric, Kravet Contract Rambler, with plain boxed cushions detailed to maintain clean, smooth lines through the curved geometry. Upholstery was railroaded to allow for longer, uninterrupted cushion runs and consistent alignment around the radius corners, supporting the continuous architectural read of each banquette. A horizontal welt detail was applied at the midpoint of the front apron to provide subtle definition without interrupting the form. All exposed wood surfaces – including bases, outside backs, finished ends, and top caps – were clad in natural walnut veneer with a clear finish, with vertical grain direction carefully maintained to align with surrounding architectural elements.
QA Group completed on-site templating and developed detailed engineering renderings to support design-team review and approval prior to fabrication. Bases were notched to accommodate integrated LED lighting, coordinated with field conditions and power locations provided by others. Every element was fabricated directly from approved shop drawings and material submittals, ensuring accuracy from concept through installation.
The finished banquettes contribute to the building’s broader narrative: spaces that invite tenants to slow down, refocus, and engage. At 1101 Westlake, the seating does more than provide a place to sit. It reinforces the building’s identity as a refined, restorative workplace, where thoughtful craftsmanship supports both daily function and long-term value.
