Am I done yet?

I don't know that I'm done yet... I'm not done yet... but I need to put my final presentation boards and booklets together in the next... 10 days! Yeah, flaws and all, I have to be done.

Several Days of SketchUp

Finally the townhouse units, located at the west side of the property, are complete. Well, 95% complete. Next step will be to put the finishing touches on the courtyard design and the commercial space. Oh... and the street edge. Oh... and the garage.


Once the SketchUp model is done I can finish up my construction documents, details, renderings and putting together my final presentation. This is a good thing!

* 22 days to go *

The New Zoo Part 2

I spent a good portion of the Sunday and all of today re-designing and rendering my live-work units on the Southwest corner of the Eastlake Zoo site. Although it was a rewarding change and they're looking better than ever, I'm still feeling pretty far behind.

* 25 days to go * impending sense of doom *

The New Zoo

Putting it in context and moving right along...
Designed for the corner of Eastlake & Lynn and the Eastlake Zoo Tavern.

Builing Facade 2.0

A few tweaks to the boulevard building on my project have resulted in an improved facade on the residential floors & roof. With 30 days until our final review, it is finally time to go into production/presentation mode. (relief)

Eastlake - Thesis/Intent Revisited

Hypothesis
The Eastlake community is at a turning point. As real estate rates increase affordable housing is disappearing and many home buyers and renters are being forced to look elsewhere for housing. Meanwhile, the diverse living and working conditions of a slow-growth, working class community, with multiple small business and property owners, is at risk. As multiple smaller properties are purchased by large developers they are being consolidated and renewed with large office blocks and condominiums. The resulting changes to the fabric of the Eastlake threatens the existing character and culture resulting in the gentrification of its native and historic inhabitants.

Thesis
They key to maintaining the culture and variety of Seattle’s Eastlake is in providing and preserving a diversity of living and working conditions within the existing fabric and scale of the community. These goals can be achieved in a number of ways.

1. Provide a diversity of housing types for a variety of incomes including affordable housing.
   
2. Provide a diversity of commercial building types and functions to attract and employ a variety business types and people.
   
3. Design in ways that are sympathetic to a variety of transportation types including bus, light-rail, commercial vehicles, automobile, bicycle and pedestrian.
   
4. Create structures that fit the existing fabric both in scale (massing), materials, and character.
   
5. Create spaces that provide opportunity for community and human interaction.
   
6. Provide support in the form of shared local services.
   
7. Environtmental/Green Design
   
8. Create places of pause by providing spaces where individuals can find inspiration and refuge from daily life. Make it humane!

SOURCES INCLUDE: Eastlake Neighborhood Plan

Midterm Review - Axon & Review Summary

AXON - FACING NORTHWESTClick image for a larger view
This is probably the most "telling" image expressing what I'd like to do with the site.

The ~40' x ~90' courtyard space extends North-South to bring in as much southern light as possible. The units on the south are ~15' x ~30' live-work townhouses. The eastern-most live-work townhouse is 2-stories to allow more light to enter the courtyard while the other three are three stories.

The near (east) row of buildings facing the street are ~15' x ~40' commercial at the ground with ~15' x ~30' studio apartments above. The upper two floors are two-story lofts (also with a ~15 x ~30' floorplate).

It was suggested, during my midterm review, that a "rentable" space be provided for visiting relatives. I feel that a studio unit or two could be reserved for this type of use.

It was also suggested that the idea of preserving Zoo Tavern be abandoned as employees and customers are not likely to return after a year of demoliton and construction. While I agree that this would likely be the case I do feel that a commercial space can be designed to accommodate a new Zoo Tavern or similar business. The other commercial spaces will be equipped to house, ideally, small retail stores, groceries, and/or eateries.

Midterm Review - Site Sections

SECTION FACING WESTThe intent is to provide a compressed entrance from the street that will provide an "explosive" feeling when entering the courtyard. A green canopy and colorful materials in the courtyard should provide a strong contrast against the grey Seattle streets.


SECTION FACING SOUTHI'm concerned that 40' is a bit tight but with only 100' to work with it would be difficult to widen the courtyard while still providing 20+ units (~60/acre) on site.

Eastlake Building - Thesis & Intent

Images taken from Seattle Department of Planning Website
Eastlake Plan Vision Statement:
To enhance the diverse character of the Eastlake neighborhood while ensuring the responsible stewardship of our natural and constructed environment, and cultivating a strong sense of community.

Hypothesis & Issues:
Too often new housing in up-and-coming neighborhoods is designed only for the production of capital which results in rapid gentrification and a loss of historic culture. While rejuvenation of aging buildings and infrastructure is encouraged, existing historic neighborhood institutions are often disregarded as being too run down and/or insignificant to preserve. What would happen if, in an up-and-coming community that was formerly blue-collar like Seattle’s Eastlake Neighborhood, developers preserved the existing institutions of the “lower class” while also working meet their own financial needs and those of the newer white-collar tenants? Key issues would be as follows:

• Anti-Gentrification techniques
  
• Some affordable housing, some high-end housing
  
• Shared utilities and spaces like laundry rooms and lounges
  
• Street Life through mixed-use and live/work
  
• Retaining Zoo Tavern, a market & a restaurant
  
• Good design... not necessarily expensive materials
  
• Sustainability meeting “SeaGreen” standards

Links:
Department of Neighborhoods, Eastlake Plan - Seattle.gov
Department of Planning & Development: Research - Seattle.gov
Office of Housing - Seattle.gov

Eastlake Zoo Tavern - Seattle

Photo's Copyright 2008 - Erik Bishoff Photography
Our terminal studio investigated a number of possible building sites in Seattle. We were offered a tour of the Eastlake neighborhood by former UO Dean Jerry Finrow who lives in the area. After some deliberation, I selected the NE corner of the intersection of Eastlake & Lynn for my design site. Eastlake & Lynn is home to the landmark Eastlake Zoo Tavern, a brooding office building, a 80's era mini-mart below parking, and a decent-enough looking building called the Eastlake Lofts. Our site extends north about 120' from Lynn to the south side of (lets be blunt) an ugly brick office building. Trying to build over a historic working-class landmark, in an already gentrified neighborhood will be a challenge. The inevitable end of the Eastlake Zoo Tavern is on the horizon but I'd like to come up with some way to preserve, in some way, the essence of the historic life and energy of the Tavern.

Resources:
Eastlake Zoo Tavern carving out a place in New Seattle - Seattle Post Intelligencer
Eastlake Lofts Update - Wendy Leung's Seattle Condo Review
Condo boom just starting, experts say - Seattle Post Intelligencer
Terminal Studio Photographs - ErikBishoff.smugmug.com
On the Bottle, Off the Streets, Halfway There (1811 Eastlake) - New York Times
Photos of Eastlake Zoo Tavern - Yelp.com