The Maritime Innovation Center, designed by The Miller Hull Partnership, is a finalist in the 8th annual GRAY Awards, On the Boards breakout category. This project is part of the Port of Seattle’s effort to grow the region’s maritime industrial and technology sectors.
Fishermen’s Terminal, a beloved living and working community landmark, serves as the home port for Seattle’s commercial fishing fleet and is poised to become the hub for the region’s growing Blue Tech economy.
Maritime Innovation District
The Port of Seattle has committed to introducing a Maritime Innovation District at the historic Fishermen’s Terminal, which will include the Maritime Innovation Center and the Gateway Maritime Technology Incubator. The Maritime Center will be located in the historic 1918 former Seattle Ship Supply Building and will serve as an incubator organization to support innovation in the maritime sector.
The design team applied previous experience with the Living Building Challenge to guide the Port through the challenges and opportunities of the program, aiming to meet the ambitious sustainability goals set by the Port Commission. The Maritime Center is seeking full ILFI Living Building Challenge Certification.
Sustainability Features
Sustainability will be on display with the addition of rainwater cisterns and an on-site photovoltaic array. The design maintains the form and mass of the more than 100-year-old building, enhancing the iconic pitched roof with locally sourced and industrially appropriate materials. Most of the building and its century-old heavy timber structure will be salvaged and reused.
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Blue Tech Economy
The Maritime Center will honor the cultural and economic significance of Seattle’s maritime history and celebrate its lively fishing industry. It will bridge the region’s time-honored maritime traditions with its modern role as a mecca for technological innovations.
The building program includes research and development space, conferencing, and office space for the Blue Tech economy. It will become a hub for maritime innovation, hosting events to promote Blue Tech start-ups that will benefit the local maritime industry and state economy.
As start-ups become more established, they will expand to nearby sites in the maritime cluster along Salmon Bay. The rehabilitation of the Maritime Center exemplifies what is possible to support equitable sustainable development and address the climate crisis.
One of the key aspects of this project is its ability to balance preservation of the past with innovation for the future, much like other successful revitalization projects in the region, which have managed to integrate sustainable development into their designs.
The Port has also enlisted site-specific public art, including works by Tulalip native artist Ty Juvinel and muralist Shogo Ota, to enhance the visitor experience and increase awareness of Seattle’s maritime history and innovative future.
