This is the story of how the craftsmanship of yesteryear inspired an unprecedented collaboration to preserve a unique piece of Seattle’s history—an effort empowered by today’s technology.

Think of any iconic structure defining our modern world and chances are, concrete played a big role in its creation: Hoover Dam, the Panama Canal, the Petronas Towers, the Burj Khalifa and Chesapeake Bay Bridge are all examples of this versatile material in its most impressive forms.

GLY Construction broke the Washington State record for the largest continuous mat pours at the Lincoln Square Expansion project, the new $1.2 billion mixed-use expansion of Kemper Development Company’s The Bellevue Collection.

We can probably all agree that deconstructing a 100-year old building and putting it back together again piece by piece is a daunting task. Now imagine reconstructing that building 60 feet north of its original location, integrating it with a new structure with strict vibration limitations, restoring its original representation prior to years of modifications, and bringing it up to current building code—all while preventing damage to 2,760 pieces of original terra-cotta.

Delivering Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences’ new STREAM building [Science, Technology, Robotics, Engineering, Art and Math] is one of the most rewarding experiences of my career to date. It’s a beautiful building; a true product of collaboration, vision and inspiration that the students, faculty and parents of SAAS are thrilled with.