Glosten

Glosten
Name	Glosten
Type	Private
Industry	Naval architecture, marine engineering, ship design
Founded	1979
Founder	naval architects
Headquarters	Seattle, Washington
Key people	senior principals
Services	naval architecture, marine engineering, hydrodynamics, regulatory compliance

Glosten is a naval architecture and marine engineering firm based in Seattle, Washington, known for work on commercial vessels, research craft, ferries, and naval support platforms. The firm provides design, engineering, consulting, and regulatory support to clients across the United States and internationally, collaborating with shipowners, shipyards, universities, and government agencies. Glosten’s portfolio spans ferry operators, offshore energy companies, research institutions, and defense contractors, intersecting with projects shaped by maritime agencies, classification societies, and academic programs.

History

Founded in 1979 by a cohort of Seattle-based naval architects and marine engineers, the company developed amid regional shipbuilding activity tied to the Alaska maritime trade, Puget Sound ferry services, and Pacific Northwest shipyards. Early engagements connected the firm to operators such as the Alaska Marine Highway System, Washington State Ferries, and private shipyards in Tacoma and Seattle. During the 1980s and 1990s Glosten expanded into hydrodynamic analysis, stability consulting, and regulatory work for clients interacting with the United States Coast Guard, the American Bureau of Shipping, and international classification societies. In the 2000s the firm broadened collaborations to include renewable energy developers working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and academic partners at the University of Washington. More recent decades saw Glosten engage with municipal transit agencies, offshore wind consortia, and defense-related programs involving the Naval Sea Systems Command and research groups at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Products and Services

Glosten offers naval architecture, marine engineering, stability analysis, propulsion selection, resistance and powering studies, and regulatory compliance services supporting interaction with the United States Coast Guard and classification societies such as the American Bureau of Shipping. The firm produces conceptual designs, contract design packages, construction support, and lifecycle engineering for operator clients including ferry authorities and offshore energy companies. Hydrodynamic modeling, computational fluid dynamics studies used by researchers at Stanford University and University of Southampton, and model basin testing in cooperation with facilities such as the University of Michigan towing tank are core technical services. Consulting services often interface with shipyards like Vigor Industrial and Crowley Maritime, clients including Alaska Marine Lines, Hawaii Superferry partners, and municipal transit agencies collaborating with Sound Transit.

Notable Projects

Glosten’s notable projects include conceptual and contract designs for ferry operators linked to Washington State Ferries and Alaska Marine Highway System, newbuild studies for catamarans and monohulls for operators such as Hornblower Cruises and Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District commissions. The firm contributed engineering and hydrodynamic optimization for research vessels used by institutions like Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and provided design support for offshore service vessels employed by Chevron, Shell, and Equinor. Glosten participated in feasibility and vessel design work for offshore wind transfer vessels associated with Ørsted and Vineyard Wind consortia, and supported defense-related small vessel projects connected to Naval Sea Systems Command and subcontractors working with General Dynamics. The company has also been involved in inland and riverine craft programs for municipal authorities in New York City, Portland, and San Francisco Bay Area operators.

Corporate Structure and Leadership

Glosten is privately held and led by a group of senior principals and technical directors specializing in naval architecture, marine engineering, and project management. The leadership frequently liaises with professional organizations such as the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, and American Society of Mechanical Engineers to align professional standards and continuing education. Corporate governance includes teams for design, analysis, regulatory affairs, and business development that coordinate with clients including shipyards like Todd Pacific Shipyards and consultants working with firms such as Atkins and WSP. Senior leaders often participate in panels sponsored by agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Department of Energy to shape maritime technology adoption.

Research and Innovation

The firm maintains active research programs in hydrodynamics, energy efficiency, alternative fuels, and electric propulsion systems, collaborating with academic partners including the University of Washington, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Strathclyde. Glosten’s engineers have applied computational fluid dynamics tools alongside physical model testing in facilities such as the David Taylor Model Basin and university towing tanks to refine hull forms and propulsion integration. Innovation efforts extend to battery-electric ferry design, hybrid propulsion systems tested in coordination with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and vessel automation projects interfacing with research groups at Carnegie Mellon University and University of Michigan. The company has contributed technical papers to conferences organized by the International Towing Tank Conference and presented findings at seminars hosted by the American Society of Naval Engineers.

Awards and Recognition

Glosten and its staff have received industry recognition through project awards, innovation citations, and paper prizes from professional bodies such as the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, and regional maritime industry associations. Specific design projects have been cited in transport and maritime conferences, and researchers affiliated with the firm have earned acknowledgments from academic partners including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Washington for collaborative contributions. The firm’s work on energy-efficient vessel concepts and electric ferry projects has been referenced in policy discussions involving the Department of Energy and maritime decarbonization initiatives.

Category:Naval architecture firms Category:Companies based in Seattle