First Light: Close Collaboration Helps Team Deliver a ‘Total Work of Art’

ProjectsBest Projects2025 Best of the Best Winners First Light: Close Collaboration Helps Team Deliver a ‘Total Work of Art’ By Jonathan Keller Photo by Moris Moreno; courtesy of MG2 March 13, 2026 First Light Seattle Residential/Hospitality Submitted by: MG2 Region: ENR Northwest Owner: Westbank Corp. Lead Design Firm: James K.M. Cheng Architects General Contractor: Build Group Executive Architect: MG2 Civil Engineer: KPFF Consulting Engineers Structural Engineer: Glotman Simpson MEP Engineer: Integral The First Light project was conceived as a “total work of art,” says James Cheng, founder and principal of James KM Cheng Architects. The building’s base features “The Veil,” a permanent art installation by local glass artist John Hogan that wraps the office levels in a curtain of glass discs. One of the project’s biggest challenges was the 80-ft-long pool cantilevered off the 47th floor. “It was decided very early on that we should take advantage of the magnificent panoramic views from the top of the building,” says Cheng. Photo by Moris Moreno; courtesy of MG2 The pool, located 440 ft above ground, required the installation of a temporary structure—made up of castellated steel beams that were attached on one end to the building’s concrete core—to support formwork for its concrete body. “[They] were cantilevered by about 40 feet beyond the footprint of the tower,” says Jooyeol Oh, principal at MG2, the project’s executive architect. The beams were also connected to the fro...