In addition to the beautiful views and natural daylight benefits that View Smart Windows offer, our work environment helps our people be more productive and excited to come to work. The high tech look and feel has been great and we experience a significant improvement in temperature inside the space. We were thinking about moving out, but now we’ve decided to extend our lease.
- Mark Spagnola

Owner of Portfolio Communications, a tenant of Lake Union building

Lake Union Building

Renovation with View Smart Windows restored iconic views to Lake Union and reduced overwhelming heat and glare


  • Replaced single pane windows
  • Reclaimed stunning lake and city views by eliminating shades
  • Addressed hot and cold complaints
  • Tenant occupancy accelerated for two empty floors
  • Achieved 18% energy savings
  • 16% increase in asking rent
  • $5/SF generates $450,000 per year
  • Adds $8.2M asset value at 5.5% cap rate
  • Location
    Seattle, WA
  • Owner/Developer
    Henbart LLC
  • General Contractor
    Foushee & Associates
  • Project Type
    Renovation
  • Project Specifications
    7 stories, 69,000 rentable sq. ft.
  • Sustainability
    LEED Gold EBOM, 2015 Visionary Award for Energy

The Lake Union Building has an enviable location on the edge of the water in the heart of Seattle’s booming tech district, blocks from Amazon headquarters and many bustling shops and restaurants. The almost 50-year-old building was experiencing glare during 50% of daylight hours. Because the building was originally clad with single pane windows, both heating in summer and cooling in winter were very inefficient. In addition, tenants struggled with “double glare” directly from the sun and reflected off the lake, leading many to keep their shades down all the time.

The building’s leasing team has seen an overwhelmingly positive response on tours when pointing out the features and discussing how this product can impact a prospective tenant’s future work space. View Smart Windows are the perfect product to allow natural light to pass through these tenants’ spaces, maintain exceptional views without having to draw blinds, and mitigate temperature changes in their offices.
- Jake Bos

Vice President, Kidder Matthews

In order to modernize the building and compete for top tech sector tenants, Henbart, the owner, replaced the entire façade. View Smart Windows not only addressed the comfort issues, but also restored the stunning views of the lake and beyond by dispensing with blinds and shades, and helped brand the building as high-tech and innovative. As a result of the retrofit, The Lake Union Building has achieved 18% energy savings over the original single pane glass, was awarded the 2015 Visionary Award for Energy by the Seattle 2030 District, and has received LEED Gold EBOM certification in 2017. In addition, several tenants have renewed their leases and two vacant floors have been leased.

Henbart LLC is a Seattle based real estate company that develops, owns and manages commercial and residential properties in the Pacific Northwest with the aim to add value to a neighborhood and the greater community. The company offers nearly a century of experience in the acquisition and development of real estate with the ability to hold assets long term and maintain hands-on management.