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Vashon Food Bank
Vashon Food Bank
Vashon, WA, United States
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Other Projects by GRAHAM BABA ARCHITECTS
Vashon Food Bank
Vashon, WA, United States
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2026
The Vashon Maury Community Food Bank relocated to a new, purpose-built facility in the heart of downtown Vashon. In planning a move into town, the organization set out to be more visible and accessible, and to co-locate food distribution with other community services that support those experiencing food insecurity.
The Food Bank first opened its doors in the late 1970s as a small food pantry in the basement of a Vashon Island church with the goal of collecting and distributing basic groceries to islanders in need. In 1993, the Food Bank moved to its current location, adapting a series of ad-hoc structures built as part of a former Nike missile base into its new home. By 2022 their current site, while functional, was increasingly difficult to operate and did not provide a welcoming experience for users. Providing a dignified and equitable environment is paramount to the Food Bank’s mission.
The new site shares a property with the First United Methodist Church. The Church, which has a long presence on the island and remains active and community-minded, was able to sell an underused education building constructed in the 1980s, along with adjacent land. This provided the Food Bank an opportunity for a centrally located, anchor location.
The 3,700-square-foot facility boasts a simple form with a shed roof to house food shopping and warehouse operations, and a modest renovation to the 3,513-square-foot education building to accommodate offices and support services. This community hub will allow the Food Bank to offer more classes and programs to the public, expanding their reach and better serving the island community.
Visitors can shop for food, pick up pre-ordered groceries, or make appointments for additional support services, all while moving through a clear and legible site layout. Our team designed improvements to the landscape as well as entry sequence for users, including improved parking, roadways, gardens spaces, and improvements to stormwater infrastructure.
Inside the Food Bank, the shopping experience is intentionally familiar. Guests enter, check in, take a cart, and move through grocery-style aisles. Wood wall paneling adds warmth to the space, and daylighting was prioritized to support a dignified working environment for staff and volunteers. Required details, such as corner guards and trims, are treated with care to elevate the space and ensure operational longevity. The lighting, finished materials, and displays for food pull from Graham Baba Architects’ years of experience designing market halls, grocery stores, and retail spaces. The shopping experience is meant to be casual, safe, and welcoming. Refrigeration is consolidated into a large walk-in cooler and freezer, similar to back-of-house grocery store systems, improving efficiency while reducing equipment needs. The warehouse is organized to support efficient deliveries, sorting, storage, and distribution.
Together, the buildings create a food bank designed specifically for the Vashon Island community: a place that supports food distribution, shopping, volunteer efficiency, and co-located services in a setting shaped around dignity and both every day and long-term use.
Project Team
Architect: Graham Baba Architects
Interior Design: Graham Baba Architects
General Contractor: Colvos Construction
Structural Engineer: SSF Structural Engineers
MEP: Ecotope
Civil Engineer: Jacobson Engineering
Geotechnical Engineer: Adapt Consulting
Lighting: Niteo in partnership with Graham Baba Architects
Acoustical Engineer: Tenor Engineering
Landscape Architect: Hewitt
Sustainability Consultant: ArchEcology
Building Envelope: 4EA
Electrical Engineer: TFWB Engineers
Client: Vashon Maury Community Food Bank
GBA Design Team
Brian Jonas, Principal in Charge
Erica Witcher, Project Architect
Caroline Brown, Project Manager
Photography
Taggert Sorrenson
The Food Bank first opened its doors in the late 1970s as a small food pantry in the basement of a Vashon Island church with the goal of collecting and distributing basic groceries to islanders in need. In 1993, the Food Bank moved to its current location, adapting a series of ad-hoc structures built as part of a former Nike missile base into its new home. By 2022 their current site, while functional, was increasingly difficult to operate and did not provide a welcoming experience for users. Providing a dignified and equitable environment is paramount to the Food Bank’s mission.
The new site shares a property with the First United Methodist Church. The Church, which has a long presence on the island and remains active and community-minded, was able to sell an underused education building constructed in the 1980s, along with adjacent land. This provided the Food Bank an opportunity for a centrally located, anchor location.
The 3,700-square-foot facility boasts a simple form with a shed roof to house food shopping and warehouse operations, and a modest renovation to the 3,513-square-foot education building to accommodate offices and support services. This community hub will allow the Food Bank to offer more classes and programs to the public, expanding their reach and better serving the island community.
Visitors can shop for food, pick up pre-ordered groceries, or make appointments for additional support services, all while moving through a clear and legible site layout. Our team designed improvements to the landscape as well as entry sequence for users, including improved parking, roadways, gardens spaces, and improvements to stormwater infrastructure.
Inside the Food Bank, the shopping experience is intentionally familiar. Guests enter, check in, take a cart, and move through grocery-style aisles. Wood wall paneling adds warmth to the space, and daylighting was prioritized to support a dignified working environment for staff and volunteers. Required details, such as corner guards and trims, are treated with care to elevate the space and ensure operational longevity. The lighting, finished materials, and displays for food pull from Graham Baba Architects’ years of experience designing market halls, grocery stores, and retail spaces. The shopping experience is meant to be casual, safe, and welcoming. Refrigeration is consolidated into a large walk-in cooler and freezer, similar to back-of-house grocery store systems, improving efficiency while reducing equipment needs. The warehouse is organized to support efficient deliveries, sorting, storage, and distribution.
Together, the buildings create a food bank designed specifically for the Vashon Island community: a place that supports food distribution, shopping, volunteer efficiency, and co-located services in a setting shaped around dignity and both every day and long-term use.
Project Team
Architect: Graham Baba Architects
Interior Design: Graham Baba Architects
General Contractor: Colvos Construction
Structural Engineer: SSF Structural Engineers
MEP: Ecotope
Civil Engineer: Jacobson Engineering
Geotechnical Engineer: Adapt Consulting
Lighting: Niteo in partnership with Graham Baba Architects
Acoustical Engineer: Tenor Engineering
Landscape Architect: Hewitt
Sustainability Consultant: ArchEcology
Building Envelope: 4EA
Electrical Engineer: TFWB Engineers
Client: Vashon Maury Community Food Bank
GBA Design Team
Brian Jonas, Principal in Charge
Erica Witcher, Project Architect
Caroline Brown, Project Manager
Photography
Taggert Sorrenson
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