Building Transformative Place-Making: Lessons from Washington Hall

Abstract

Transformative place-making creates more connected and equitable communities. This research advocates for more critical engagement at the building scale, which is an apt site for place-making examination and intervention. The negotiations around how a building is shared reflect dynamics that exist on larger scales. As both a place and an object, a building also provides symbolic and material benefits. Washington Hall--a historic performance and gathering space in Seattle's Central District--offers lessons to theorists and practitioners about the challenges and opportunities facing transformative place-making projects. The case study emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and addressing race exclusion in the contextual landscape. Two approaches for forging transformative buildings are furthering counter-narratives about historically excluded communities, and crafting operations and governance models that reflect shared values and produce shared benefit.