I used to work for this heavy construction company, Tucci and Sons, when I was a teenager. The place still fascinates me. Painter Bob and I did the graphics on the silos.
New project just completed by Pb Elemental. I worked on this project a bit when I was there a couple years ago. Steep site, difficult permitting, down economy, many changes, but came out well. Check out Pb Elemental at www.pbelemental.com
Since the last post was so well received, here are some more architecture photos, this time from the Roy/McKenna area:
On my long drive to a meeting in eastern Washington today, I noticed many interesting buildings. So, on my way back, I decided to photograph some.
Here is an interesting new building in New York, by Jean Nouvel. This New York Times article has an nice critique on iconic architecture and it’s relevance:
The South Lake Union neighborhood in Seattle is changing. What was for a long time an overlooked neighborhood of low commercial, industrial, and residential buildings is quickly being rebuilt into a neighborhood of slick midrise office, residential, and biotech buildings. Of course, this is old news, but now that it has been several years we are starting to see many buildings completed. It is nice to see that many of the more noteworthy existing buildings have been kept and restored. This might be the most interesting aesthetic of the neighborhood, the juxtaposition of charming older buildings with crisp modern ones. Many of the older buildings really are quite exceptional; many of the new are some of Seattle’s better recent architecture. However, it does make me cringe a bit when I think about how many buildings were torn down to make way for all this new development.
There is also the South Lake Union Trolley, which may seem too short of a line to be effective, but I admire the attempt at alternative modes of transportation, and it could grow into something greater. The neighborhood definitely lacks the cultural vitality that it has tried so hard to market; I suppose that will come with time.
Construction on the Capitol Hill Light Rail Station on Broadway and John is happening. It’s a huge project: mass transit in the heart of Seattle, tearing down entire blocks of buildings, tunneling through miles of earth, hundreds of millions of dollars, and years of patience. Grand opening 2015. While I am not terribly excited about the at grade portions of the light rail system, anything underground or above grade should help our transportation problems.
Sound Transit Capitol Hill Station Webpage
So, they tore down a few houses here at the intersection of Federal and Republican in Capitol Hill, then couldn’t afford to build the planned townhouse cluster after the economy collapsed. Now the city is attempting to purchase the property, and turn it into a park. A lucky outcome for such an unfortunate site. Even if they had been built, the proposed townhomes appeared to be the pseudo craftsman standard that everyone has such a great distaste for. With a southern and western exposure, this site should make for a nice outdoor space. If the park does not go forward, lets hope some decent buildings are constructed. The townhouse project is already permitted for construction so that would probably be what is built when construction lending is on the upswing again. If this happens, please build them well.
The future network of Seattle Streetcars looks interesting. It is quite frustrating how difficult it is to retrofit mass transit into our irregular geography and existing infrastructure. Hopefully, if it happens, it will be useful and make the South Lake Union line seem less like our cute lil monorail:
Here is the link to the City of Seattle “Client Assistance Memo” (boring) for creating your own backyard cottage (fun), which before December 2009 was illegal:
http://www.seattle.gov/DPD/Publications/CAM/cam116b.pdf
This is a good way to achieve the higher density that Seattle is looking for, especially where it needs it most: single family neighborhoods. Other techniques for raising density typically involve a developer tearing down large areas of existing buildings, and replacing them with bigger, higher density, profitable, new buildings. This has not been well received, because people don’t like to see their neighborhood memories wiped away forever, and also because the buildings that replace them are often less than satisfying. We have seen this over and over again with townhomes and podium buildings. The backyard cottage is a much more sensitive approach, because everyone is responsible for their own, and it does not necessitate tearing down older buildings. The neighborhood residents themselves, not the developers, are responsible for the building, and it takes place on existing open space that may be better used. Backyard Cottages can help make families closer, allowing multi-generational households to live comfortably together. It is also an economical way for homeowners to improve their property, or at least it is an alternative to a remodel or addition. One scenario I have discussed with a client is living in their cottage, while renting the house. What a great way to help pay off the mortgage.