Valentine Multifamily
with Pb Elemental
Thirteen Residential Units are seemingly haphazardly distributed around a 22,000 square foot multi-family site which is comprised of six smaller properties that have been legally tied together by the Design/Build Developer to generate a critical mass. The intent was to create, through redevelopment, a small village in this gritty Mount Baker/North Rainier neighborhood of Seattle that departed markedly from the typical four-pack or six-pack of cookie cutter craftsman multifamily developments that characterize large parts of Seattle over the last decade.
The small village-like environment created by the nine Single Family Units and two duplexes are arrayed and aligned to maximize privacy and views out to the neighborhood. The layout of the Units rejected a strict adherence to the street grid in favor of a more chaotic approach that gives a somewhat "medieval" or "organic" character to the development. This layout simultaneously facilitates the privacy/view opportunities as well as a more unique and interesting perception of the project.
Much effort was expended to resolve the figure/ground diagram which would allow the design to comply with the Open Space requirements and provide for Unit access. The "ground" component of this diagram equates to the common space and is critical to the successful experience of the Project.
The Units range in size from 1,400 to 1,600 square feet (except for one) with most having three levels and roof decks. A centralized on-grade parking court is located in the middle of the stem of the "T" shaped Site to avoid the view of cars from the adjacent streets. To further distance the development from the cookie cutter craftsman projects inundating the city a modern unadorned aesthetic with flat roofs and parapets is employed. A combination of cement board panels and cedar siding are used to define the exterior of the Units and emphasize the Project's contemporary expression.
The Project was intended to achieve LEED Platinum certification and will employ many sustainable features. Some of the more significant of these elements include; the Property being a Previously Developed Site, compact floor areas, Rainwater Harvesting, use of Bio-swales along the perimeter of the Parking area, incorporation of Rain Gardens in the Common area, Rooftop Photo-voltaic Panels, Recessed CFL and LED lighting, Tankless Water Heaters, Radiant Floor Heat, Low-e Glazing at all Windows and Doors, Rain-screen Siding, Single-Ply "Cool Roof" Technology, Paperstone Countertops, Exposed Concrete Flooring, Energy Star Appliances and Sprayfoam Wall/Roof Insulation.
Design was completed in 2008.
