King County Courthouse
Seismic Stabilization, Seattle

Services: Structural
Square Feet: 598,000
Construction Cost: $42,000,000
Completion: 2004
Base Materials: Steel, Concrete
Client: SMR Architects

The oldest major public building in Seattle, the courthouse accommodates the sheriff's department, courts, council, and other key government services. After the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, the building's seismic upgrade included many elements used for the first time in the Pacific Northwest, such as buckling-restrained-brace frames and fluid viscous dampers.