In collaboration with the Berger Partnership ,Via Architecture, and Rushing, we put together a competition proposal for the replacement of Memorial Stadium and a new vision for the Center as a whole.

The design is an organic and topographic intervention that flows through the Center and surrounding neighborhoods, creating new connections, opportunities for new programs, and experiences at the Center. It creates a dense, flexible fabric stitched together with multi-modal transit to bring in new audiences, local/daily users, and new amenities for regional visitors.

Some of the important features:

Connectivity:

Right now the Center acts as an island in the city, but should be a hub linking neighborhoods rather than separating them. To that end, we're showing a linkage through the Bay to Lake trail, a transit center with bus, Rapid Ride, sub grade parking, and a new loop of the streetcar. The northern edge, bounded by Mercer will have a new lid park to bring in foot/bike traffic from Queen Anne and a plaza at the corner of Mercer and 5th. Broad Street becomes a greenway linking to SAM Sculpture Park to Lake Union. In effect, it's location makes it an ideal 'transit oriented park' to draw Seattleites to and through the Center.

Layered landscape:

The new topography defines the Center Green, an organic open space at the heart that spills out in all directions. Memorial Stadium is replaced by a field with a 'kop' style hill as seating, perfect for multi-use such as a musical performance space.  From 5th, the landscape opens up for a vista to the International Fountain. Underneath the Center Green, we have a series of public event spaces, storefronts for fringe/alternative cultural institutions to colocate and share resources, layers of parking, and finally a grid of ground source heat pumps to lessen energy use for the Center overall.

We didn't stop at the boundaries of the original 9 acre site, but extended the idea to carve out new access from Uptown and the meandering pathways that run through the Center Green terminate at a bridge to the apex of Key Arena--a great new public view point to downtown and the Sound.

Expressive Environmental Infrastructure:

Beyond Seattle 2030, the design begins to illustrate the path toward making the world's first Living Building District. The goal is to create a beneficial closed loop system for using on site resources and expressing the infrastructure so visitors can see, understand, and take the lessons of sustainability home. Floating above the landscape, there is a layer of solar canopy (about 150K SF) to generate energy for the spaces on the 9 acre site. We also did a first pass on other locations for solar throughout the Center, and could easily add twice that amount on existing roofs and walls of other center buildings. The draped landscape collects storm water and purifies it through a series of rain gardens and native landscape.

The Center as a cultural incubator:

We're also proposing a mix of new, smaller multi use spaces to support the growth of new cultural generators, like SIFF and KEXP.  Tucked under the knoll overlooking the performance/field, we are proposing a new multi-use performance/community space which can be configured like the Center's Northwest Rooms or opened up for larger events. At the corner of Mercer and 5th, we've opened up a new urban plaza that acts as both a local Queen Anne gateway and spill out space for the community space and cultural incubators.

Although we were not selected as a finalist for the competition, I think we put together a very forward looking, connective, and sustainable solution which would do the city proud.

Special thanks to Studio 216 for the help with the renderings!

Soon we'll be able to post our design concept for the revitalization of the Seattle Center, as part of the Urban Intervention competition, but here is a little sneak peak:

Once they announce the finalists, we'll be able to release the full content of our proposal, as well and give full credit to all the great collaborators we worked with.

2011 was good, but 2012 is going to be much better!

Stefan, Tim and I will be set up on the main floor (room 1).  Drop by and see us!

We've had a booth for eight or nine years, and it's always a good show--lots of new products, and a chance to talk with contractors, architects, etc in a no-pressure atmosphere.

In December, Stefan and I asked Tim to become a full partner in CAST architecture.  Tim has been with us since 2006, and has done some fantastic work, including the Artalejo-Lacas, Anderson and Bookloft residences.

Tim's work has been influenced by his interest in traditional Japanese architecture, small space design and Urban density issues. His path has been fueled by an 18-month research scholarship to study urban housing in Japan while a graduate student. This interest has most recently manifested itself in his efforts advocating for the passage of the Seattle Backyard Cottage ordinance. He is currently engaged in the design of efficient and elegant homes and cottages in various Seattle neighborhoods.

Tim is a registered architect in the State of Washington. He received a master of Architecture from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Art and Design from Montana State University.

This remodel and addition to a classic Tucker & Shield Mid Century Modern home in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Seattle, strengthens the connection of rooms to one another, the public portions of the house to the site, and updates the finishes of this 1955 residence while staying true to the spirit of the original design.

A new day lit stair well creates a logical circulation path between the bedroom wing of the split-level, and the public spaces of the house, creating a more fluid transition to the second floor living.  The new family room addition builds off the home’s original elemental language of brick, wood and glass, providing a deck to take in the expansive views of Lake Washington - Leveraging the house's connection to a quintessential Seattle site.

A special thanks to the project manager Rich Denny of High Country Contractors for being a great partner on this project!

Saratoga Modern--exterior from backyard

Set in the Saratoga, California suburbs, this house is a complete reboot of a 1969 faux colonial.  We're stripping away the historical pastiche, and focusing the design on nearly seamless indoor/outdoor living.  Wrapping the house is a stone terrace and arcade which defines a new dining space, lounge area and a series of gardens.  It screens the intense solar exposure, and reinforces the horizontal in keeping with the City's very restrictive planning regulations.

The palette of natural materials is pretty rich, but understated, using changes in texture and shadow.  We'll be using a light colored, hard limestone, called Fiore from Maidenstone.  We'll use a split face texture for the arcade columns, hammered tile for the outdoor terrace, and a brushed finish for the interior tile.  The cabinetry and trim will be mostly walnut slab and panels.

More information and photos after the jump...

We've been investigating what the Urban Olympic project would look like as an 27 unit apartment building.  One potentially excited twist on the building is that we have split the bulk into two volumes with a 18' wide courtyard atrium.  The atrium and circulation are exterior, so we can apply another 2000 S.F.for an extra 3 units and still come in under the FAR limit.

We also did a first run at some energy modeling, using Archicad's EcoDesigner program, and feel that given the bulk it would be fairly straight forward to achieve the Passive House standard, but the return on investment is better if we design to the envelop to Washington State Energy Code, add solar hot water, switch the lighting to LEDs, and add an ERV.

Dave Boone has broke ground on our latest commercial project, The Canal Street Studio. This mixed use building on an infill lot in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, will house retail and office space, an artist's studio, and a caretakers residence. This live work studio for an interior designer/ceramicist and a writer, over looks the Fremont Canal, and is projected to be finished in spring of 2012.

Join us tonight at Future Shack 2011 for another evening of great dialogue about houses.  Last year I participated in the 'Speed-Date'---seven minutes to lay out the project and have a design brainstorm, then on to the next architect.  It was a blast, and this year Tim will be sitting in for me. After Speed Date Design, there will be a presentation of innovative ideas in housing.

Our entry, Urban Olympic, is a nine unit townhouse complex designed to use 90% less energy that typical code compliance housing.  See our entries over the last few years : 2011, 2009

It is at Fisher Pavillion in the Seattle Center, starting at 5 pm.