KOArchitecture has designed the Bridge Way Mixed-Use Building which is currently under construction in the Wallingford district of Seattle, Washington.The five-story, 18,573 square foot building in Seattle’s Wallingford district will house 19 apartments and 4 commercial spaces, including a cafe. It is situated on a prominent 4,784 square foot triangular corner.
The site has a 14-foot drop to the southeast and Seattle’s downtown. The design is structured by a sequence of orthogonal rectangular volumes placed throughout the site as opposed to designing a triangle building for a triangular lot, which would produce a jumble of completely unusable and unpleasant spaces (three in a row at the top and highest point, two in the middle tier, reducing to one at the bottom and lowest portion of the site). The areas of the volumes that cross the sidewalk are converted into bay windows that adhere to building codes, maintaining the volume while fulfilling site development restrictions. The end result is a tiered building that optimizes view units while avoiding the generic flatness and boxiness of commodity buildings.
The building is a study in contrasts. The view sides of the building are defined by floor to ceiling glass, providing spectacular vistas of the city, the Cascades, and Mount Rainier. Each unit is expressed. When required, sliding screens on the southwest corner units offer privacy and sun protection. The building’s other side, the non-view side, fronts a busy thoroughfare and is distinguished by a single, somewhat solid facade. The stepped facade facing Woodland Park Avenue North gives a residential scale. For more seclusion, glazing in this area is typically restricted to three rows of clerestory windows for each unit. As a visual cue to the passage of accelerating vehicles, the windows are positioned in a staggered raking pattern.
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The usage of materials further strengthens this agreement between the two main faces. The artery side has dark, horizontally aligned corrugated metal paneling, while the view sides are covered in smooth, vertically oriented white SwissPearl panels. The fifth story is a rooftop deck that offers a lot of amenity space and breathtaking city views. The pedestrian experience is made more engaging by street-level niches that match the building’s steps. The nooks, which are covered in mirrors and vibrant colors, will give viewers a visual treat and an excuse to take it easy and appreciate the city.
Project team
KOArchitecture (Architecture) – www.koarchitecture.com
Swenson Say Faget ( Structural engineering)
Davido Consulting Group (Civil engineering)
Root of Design (Landscape design)
Pan Geo (Geotechnical engineering)
Sunset Hill Design Build (Developer/Builder)
Notion Workshop and KOArchitecture (Renderings)
