Seattle’s Pike/Pine Corridor is one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods. The owner and developer of this project, a long time resident of the neighborhood, prized the area's uniqueness.



Seeking to support the economic and social diversity of the neighborhood, she wanted to fill the disappearing stock of affordable housing. The program is multi-use: ground level retail, twenty-seven units between 623 and 1137square feet, a rooftop garden, and two levels underground parking.

The design response was to look to the history of the site and the neighborhood-- Seattle's "auto row." This typology is captured in 1111 E. Pike’s tall, wide windows and high ceilings, the use of steel at the entrance, and its exterior of panelized siding (with a palette inspired by classic car colors from the 1950's!).

Simple materials and straightforward construction kept costs low. Additionally, the owner is covering the first three years of condo fees for people working as teachers, social workers, and medical workers.

 

Much like selecting your own car color, owners were able to choose the exterior color of their unit, resulting in a mix-and-match aesthetic that enlivens the neighborhood. Inside each unit, a custom-designed Puzzle Door allows each owner to adapt their space as needed. 1111 E. Pike meets LEED requirements for Development Density, Site Selection, Alternate Transportation, and Storm-water Management.

 

The project was selected for the AIA Housing awards. The jury had the following comments: "This is a fabulous, tasteful adaptive reuse. There is such a strength in this conversion- through the beautiful historic adaptation, the building's purpose has also transformed from negative to positive!"

 

Project credits:
Architect: Olson Kundig Architects
Owner: Anne Michelson
Contractor: Charter Construction
Civil Engineer: Coughlin Porter Lundeen
Structural Engineer: PCS-Structural Solutions
Photo Credit: © Olson Kundig Architects; © Francis Zera

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