Terminal 1

A waterfront workplace shaped around an elevated public park, connecting the scale of a new district with the experience of the river.

Terminal 1 brings 330,000 square feet of office space and 15,000 square feet of ground-floor retail to Vancouver, Washington’s waterfront. West of West approached the project as an opportunity to establish a district identity through architecture, materiality, and a generous relationship with the public realm.

Originally conceived as two separate structures, the project combines two distinct office volumes into one connected building. This consolidation improves building efficiency while creating room for The Launch, an elevated public park at its center. Overlooking the Columbia River and downtown Vancouver, the terrace forms a visual bridge between the city and its waterfront.

The facade uses CNC-fabricated folded metal panels developed in collaboration with a local fabricator. Working from an understanding of the material’s tolerances, the team created a pattern that breaks down the scale of the building’s large vertical surfaces. The folds catch light and shadow differently throughout the day, while their reflective surfaces register changing sky colors, giving the exterior a dynamic character.

Ground-floor retail supports the surrounding district, alongside public art curated with the Port of Vancouver and parking for visitors and building occupants. Above, a skybridge links the uppermost office levels, paired with adjacent roof decks that offer tenants places to gather and take in different views of the river. Together, these connections make the building a sequence of shared experiences, from the public waterfront to the elevated workplace.