Scale Devices on Elevations Reducing Perceived Bulk

First Light is a building of scale. Instead of unifying the entire structure with a single architectural argot, as in the modernist buildings of the 1960s and 70s, JKMCA uses a range of related elevation treatments to give a human scale to the building, and to better reside within the polyglot variety of downtown Seat-tle architecture. Westbank’s Fairmont Pacific Rim is the largest building ever constructed within the city of Vancouver – larger even than the Convention Center West across the street – yet its form is subtle and contextual. With a historic art deco tower on one side, the major boulevard of Burrard Street and the convention center on the others, the elevations must respond to very different architecture on each side. First Light’s situation in Seattle is similar, to respect its diverse neighbors, the design is broken into sections with slightly different cladding, tempering its scale and providing visual interest.