First Light Seattle

This is another special one in my collection. I’ve shot dozens of residential and commercial high-rise projects over the years, but First Light Tower in Seattle is the only one I’ve had the privilege of photographing from 6 stories below grade all the way to completion. 

The general contractor Build Group knew immediately that this was going to be a momentous project, so they brought me on as soon as excavation was completed. I watched the project grow and documented the entire process over more than three years. I’ve probably spent more time on this project than any other in my career so far.

Quick facts: 39 floors of residential units, 6 levels of parking, 7 stories of retail/commercial space, plus 2 levels of amenities, including a glass-encased “Secret Garden,” and the crown jewel – a pool deck cantilevered 40 feet off the north aspect of the tower. Every residential unit has a balcony and the tower has jaw-dropping, 360-degree views of the Space Needle, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains and Mt. Rainier to the south.

As with many iconic projects, I heard rumors that the idea of the tower began with a rough sketch on a napkin. That image was then printed on celebratory topping-out shirts distributed to the entire construction crew. Epic!