F2 Apartments

Seattle, Washington

Located at the north end of Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood near the I-5 bridge, this 103-unit apartment building is designed to respond to a variety of site constraints.  The project includes a hill-climb stair that will navigate the steep slope of the adjacent unimproved right-of-way, creating a pedestrian connection between the Eastlake commercial corridor down to a pocket park on Lake Union.  Bioretention planters treating runoff from the I5 bridge are integrated with the stair design, pursuing Salmon Safe development standards and setting precedent for green storm-water infrastructure.  The project seeks to create a continuous active street edge along Fairview Ave E with recessed stoops and a public plaza near the building entry and stair.  Building form is designed to reduce the perceived size of the building by breaking up the massing with a language of recessed and projecting volumes, creating visual interest and depth in addition to integrated balconies to enjoy the lake views to the west.