Rainier Valley Food Bank
expanding the reach of a community staple

The Rainier Valley Food Bank is faced with an urgent need to relocate its existing facility in order to maintain this vital community service. This is the busiest food bank in Seattle, providing fresh, healthy, culturally relevant food to the community.  The current operations are located in a facility that does not function well and is unsafe for the clients and staff. Even if they could make it work, they are losing their lease and must relocate quickly.  As fortune would have it, the Rainier Valley Food Bank recently acquired a former mortuary building in the Rainier Beach neighborhood with plans to make this their new home.  

 Schemata Workshop is working with the food bank to get them up and operating using the former mortuary building as soon as possible while a future plan for the all-new food bank is devised. This will include cultural ceremonies to recognize the transition from a place to honor the dead to a place that serves to provide life. We are helping to program and master plan the new facility, while also strategizing how to implement a phased strategy that includes operating out of a "Food Village" in the parking lot while the eventual construction phase takes place.  

The Rainier Valley Food Bank is expected to be operating from the new location for the 2021 holiday season, with design in 2022 and a final, new facility in 2023.  

Head over to Rainier Valley Food Bank’s website to learn more.

Project Information

CLIENT
Rainier Valley Food Bank
Edge Development

LOCATION
Seattle, WA

PROJECT TYPE
Community Facilities
Community Engagement

SCOPE
Feasibility Study
Programming
Design Development
Construction Documents
Construction Administration
Project Close Out

PROJECT TEAM
Schemata Workshop (Architect)
Quantum (Structural Engineer)
Laurie Pfarr, LPD (Civil Engineer)
Tres West (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing)