How a Seattle Landmark Was Revived as a Nonprofit Complex

Environmental Impact

After 17 years of neglect, including a major fire, it might have been tempting to raze the Metropole and start from scratch. But the Satterberg Foundation is committed to “a just society and a sustainable environment” and wanted this project to embody both aspects of their philosophy.

“We have to recognize that we can’t build our way to better climate response with new construction alone,” argued Matt Aalfs, founding partner, BuildingWork. “It’s worth reusing existing buildings because they already have so much embodied material, energy, and carbon.”

Work started with a major structural and HVAC renovation to satisfy energy and seismic codes. The project also complied with Seattle 2030 District Goals, which is a voluntary measure to reduce energy in existing buildings by 50%. Key strategies include natural ventilation with new operable and triple-glazed windows. A rooftop solar array provides 10% of demand.

“We also used air-water heat pumps on the roof to provide hydronic radiant heating and passive chilled beam cooling. The building has significant thermal mass, so it holds temperature quite well,” Aalfs explained. “There are even heat exchangers in the sub-basement for domestic hot water.”

Since Seattle’s seismic risk is as high as California, the Metropole’s unreinforced masonry structure needed significant upgrades with new structural frames and concrete shear walls.

“Construction also revealed huge cracks in the 2-foot-thick masonry bearing walls that necessitated immediate repairs,” added Aalfs. “SIxteen-foot-long steel rods were inserted into the brick and bolted in place to ‘stitch’ the cracked masonry together.”

Outward Appearances

As a flatiron building with a distinct stone facade, the Metropole is a contributing structure to the Pioneer Square Historic District. Its period of significance spans the late 1880s to the early 1930s, so it was critical to restore its look to that era. The first steps were rehabilitating the brick masonry, replicating the missing cornice, and repointing mortar.

“It was a technical challenge to peel nine layers of paint from the carved stone. It required a multistep removal process by experts because the rusticated sandstone is both bumpy and soft,” said Aalfs. “But the effort revealed textured carvings like neoclassical wreathes and garlands as well as ghost signs that were all preserved.” 

Two upper floors that were lost in the 1949 earthquake were also rebuilt. These are on the smaller brick structure once known as the Busy Building, which was eventually combined and internally linked with the Metropole. Today, the clear division between the original and new stories marks an important moment in time. The rebuild uses the same facade and window proportions but with modern materials, notably a contrasting grey brick.

“Working with the preservation board, we decided against a historic reconstruction because we didn’t want to erase the impact of the earthquake,” Aalfs explained. “We have a design philosophy that you shouldn’t try to make new things look old because it can bring up questions of authenticity. Ultimately, it was more respectful to the historic fabric that we didn’t copy it.”

Internal Programming

BuildingWork did a series of outreaches to see what nonprofit resources were needed downtown, especially for those with a staff of 10 or less. Based on this community input, the Metropole’s four floors offer open offices. Tenants share amenities like conference rooms and event space, bike storage, kitchen, restrooms, and roof deck.

“We placed conference and event rooms in the basement since they still receive daylight. Arts and culture spaces, including a 1,300-square-foot gallery, are at ground level since they have street presence,” said Aalfs. “Childcare is then stacked in the Busy portion to keep a natural separation.”

By subsidizing rents, the Satterberg Foundation has attracted a variety of BIPOC organizations since the building opened in 2025. These include the Seattle Black Panther Party Legacy Interpretive Center, the Native-led housing agency Chief Seattle Club, Living with Conviction, and the Indigenous women-led Na’ah Illahee Fund.

The Metropole’s 34,000 square feet is filled with original character from exposed brick walls and archways to cast-iron columns. Its triangular footprint also has floor-to-ceiling windows providing plentiful natural light and ventilation.

“Adaptive reuse is an exciting way to do architecture,” stressed Aalfs. “It’s very creative because there are so many areas where you need to have the old and new together—how do you let them talk to each other visually or physically? Even though it’s almost 135 years old, the Metropole is a forward-thinking project that models how to transform existing historic buildings for programming, energy efficiency, and climate response.”