The Beach at Elliott Bay, located a mile north of downtown Seattle on a 40-acre waterfront site, was transformed from an under-used biotech campus and post-industrial site into a vibrant, lush, publicly accessible park with improved connectivity to trails for running and biking. The designers were tasked with envisioning a campus for a tech company’s international headquarters that provided employees with meaningful connectivity to nature to enhance their daily life. The designers devised a strategy responding to human and climate needs for the near and far term.
The designers collaborated with the client to re-aggregate public easements, creating a consolidated park and trail system along the Puget Sound for the public. A new terraced overlook and a richly planted dune habitat softens the edge of the water and provides new universally accessible space at the edge of Elliott Bay. A separated system of bike and pedestrian paths weave through the landscape that is rich with native plants and trees, allowing habitat for pollinators and birds, and aligning with Salmon Safe certification program requirements.
Material reclamation and adaptive reuse were core principles of the design process. The existing site had a series of formal landscape spaces with stone paving and monolithic stone elements. The reclaimed stone was stockpiled and reimagined for the new campus, including informal stone groupings nestled into the dune planting on the Beach. Inspired by the driftwood that washes onto the shores of Washington beaches, knotty spruce “boom sticks” from a decommissioned timber operation in Port Angeles were brought to the site and nestled into the planting and gravel dunes. The reclaimed stone boulders and driftwood break up the planting while also functioning as informal seating and play areas.
Soil management was integral to the design, contributing to the success of the landscape and underscoring the long-term maintenance plan for the project focused on cultivating a low-maintenance and low-input landscape. A comprehensive assessment of the mostly paved, disturbed site was conducted at project onset. Harvested soil, tested for ecological benefits and long-term landscape health, was used to inoculate compost and base loam for the eight custom blends that correlated with the site’s planting communities. Soil scientists tested and monitored the soil after installation, formulating compost tea blends to seasonally inoculate the soil and plants and stimulate biological activity and resilience without chemical fertilizers.
Beyond the client’s goals of creating a biophilic, experience-based landscape, employees and users have free reign to engage with a variety of outdoor rooms. From a park amphitheater to a contemplative garden or a cascading water feature, each space is connected by multiple path circuits to encourage walking meetings and promote a healthier workplace connected to the urban and ecological context of Puget Sound.
The Beach invites users to pause at the edge of Elliott Bay, celebrating the land-water threshold with breathtaking views. Reclaimed materials and native plantings highlight the site’s sculpted topography. The expansive site reinforces a sense of place while defining a new landscape approach centered on stewardship.
The Beach at Elliott Bay (Expedia HQ)
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA
Client: Expedia Group
Landscape Architect: Surfacedesign, Inc.
Collaborators:
ZGF Architects
Aidlin Darling Design
GLY Construction
Teufel Landscape
F2 Environmental Design
Plan Image Credit: Surfacedesign, Inc.
Photography: Marion Brenner