It was a big news week for Seattle’s Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Ai2), including the announcement of a new AI robotics initiative and a landmark grant from Nvidia and the National Science Foundation to lead the creation of the future AI backbone for U.S. scientific research.
But the nonprofit research institute also reached another milestone in recent weeks: moving into its new 50,000-square-foot headquarters in Seattle’s first large-scale mass-timber commercial building.
The new Ai2 space, in the Northlake Commons project on the north shore of Lake Union, is now the central gathering and workspace for the organization and its team of about 225 people. Ai2 occupies one floor of the five-story building.
It’s a short drive up the road from Ai2’s prior headquarters, and within walking or biking distance of the University of Washington, where many of Ai2’s researchers are also affiliated with the UW Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering.
Mass timber is an engineered wood product made by binding layers of wood together into strong, large structural panels and beams, providing the strength of steel or concrete with a lower carbon footprint. The mass-timber elements are visible throughout the space and common areas of the building.
The space includes large meeting rooms, private call rooms, a podcast and video studio, large doors that open up to outside patios on warm days, and a dining area and gathering space with sweeping views of Lake Union and downtown.
The interior design deliberately avoids a traditional “sea of desks” layout in favor of smaller groupings of workstations where researchers can collaborate while remaining connected through walkways and sight lines.
There’s even enough space for a simulated home environment in the Ai2 robotics lab, including two kitchens, allowing researchers to test their latest AI robotics technology in conditions that mimic a real-world household.
Northlake Commons was designed by Seattle-based architect Weber Thompson and built by general contractor Swinerton. News of the Ai2 lease was announced in July 2024.
The Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) is separate from the AI2 Incubator, which spun off from the non-profit and has its own new waterfront home, AI House, at Pier 70 on Elliott Bay.
Keep scrolling for more pictures from inside the new Ai2 space.
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