Bevel

Bevel is a 12-story mass timber office tower planned for downtown Bellevue, Washington, developed by Skanska and designed by Waugh Thistleton Architects with Mithun. Rising to 180 feet, it is set to become the tallest mass timber office building in the United States once completed, though it will remain well short of Milwaukee's residential Ascent tower, currently the world's tallest timber skyscraper. The building uses a hybrid structural system, pairing a concrete parking garage and steel core for stability with engineered wood columns, beams, and ceilings that will be left fully exposed throughout the office floors and ground-floor public areas, an unusual approval to secure for 100 percent exposed timber ceilings. Most of the tower's floors will be leased as office space, with a nature-infused lobby featuring floor-to-ceiling glazing and a rooftop garden. Jennifer Cover, president and CEO of the timber-focused nonprofit WoodWorks, noted that of 22 tall timber buildings currently under construction or built in the U.S., only three are commercial, calling Bevel an example that expands what's possible for the format. The project is targeting LEED Platinum certification, with green features including integrated stormwater capture and reuse, native landscaping, and energy-efficient building systems. Design work is still in progress, and no completion date has been announced.