With the launch of our new gig, Allied8, we’ve been stuck in the weeds of sorting out business protocol, creating templates, developing standards, time tracking, and a few thousand other business tasks all while powering through fun projects with our amazing clients and team of consultants. But finally, we look up from the paper work for just a minute to give you a little 2015 Year in Preview look at these projects and as well as naming who has been collaborating with us all along the way:
UNDER CONSTRUCTION:
WEST SEATTLE RESIDENCE: It will be complete this summer! Thanks to the great team of MRA General Contractors (GC), Anne Viggiano Color & Design (Color/texture), Dibble Engineers (structural), GeoEngineers (Geotechinical), West Seattle Natural Energy (Solar Power) and GeoDimensions (Survey). We pulled off a few tricks in this house, there are 12′ overhangs but no steel, there’s passive heating and cooling, there’s a continuous thermal break, there’s a massively cool outdoor room on the upper floor at the owner’s request and there’s the view.
ARBOR HEIGHTS RESIDENCE: This backyard conversion is epic, thanks to the clients vision and patience. We remodeled 75% of this mid century modern rambler two years ago and then were asked to design the back yard environment so that the unadulterated view of the sound and Rainier can be fully appreciated. We’ve had a great construction team of Envision Homes (GC), In Harmony (Landscape), DMA (Metal) and Keuka (Railing).
GREENWOOD DUPLEX: This is part 1 of a 2 part project. This is the baby sister project. The big sister project is on the boards. The owner asked us to adapt this old abandoned house that was unlivable into a duplex with stunning view of the Olympics. We kept 75% of the existing framing but we “popped the top” to make a full 3rd story rather then keep the under utilized existing attic.
KIRKLAND RESIDENCE: This remodel is unique. The original house was designed by an architect and for the architect. The new owners, our clients loved the house but needed to adapt it to their growing family. With a appreciation for industrial modern design we were able to have fun introducing lots of metal into the project. This project was just issued a permit and will start construction in a couple of weeks. We very much look forward to working with Gibralter Construction.
BELLEVUE RESIDENCE: Also slated to start in 2 to 3 weeks this modest mid-century modern house is going to OWN it’s heritage with a new addition that is inspired by Eichler himself. This is yet another project with our old friends at Envision Homes (GC).
CLYDE HILL RESIDENCE: Beginning construction in spring, this remodel will take the foundation from the existing mid century modern home and replace it with a modern and timeless gable roof home with interiors that include many double height spaces, great daylighting, and a mix of modern and traditional finishes.
IN PERMIT REVIEW:
6. ALKI ROW HOUSES: Here’s a biggie! This 9,000 SF, 4 row house development sits on one of the most special pieces of property in the City – Alki Point, facing downtown Seattle. It is in the home stretch of permitting and is slated to start construction in early Spring. The 4 row houses are one-of-a-kind, 4 story single family homes, each with their own roof deck.
7. CALIFORNIA AVE DENTIST: Right in the heart of the booming West Seattle main street, this darling little building was in need of some TLC. The bones of the building are great but with a few modern touches the character was completely transformed.
ON THE BOARDS
GREENWOOD: As we just begin the design of this multi family building in Greenwood, we are enjoying the creative process of starting a project from scratch. With most of our projects in construction right now, this has been a great creative outlet to explore massing, site, and program.
SOUTH SEATTLE STUDIOS: We have been developing a multi-family niche that we are very proud of. This project that we are just starting to design is a quintessential example. We’re adding 3 – 4 stacked studio apartments in detached or attached buildings, in the back yards of buildings that already serve as duplexes, triplex’s or quads. The formula varies depending if the property is in a designated Urban Village, Urban Center, Station Area Overlay, Frequent Transit or on an alley. But by and large, the Seattle Municipal code makes room for these modest “density nudgers.” That’s what we like to call them. The alternative is the land owner come in and demolish a perfectly functional income generating rental building or keeps the existing building intact, cleans it up and then builds a mini building in the back that is of similar. Watch for a blog on the “density nudger
GRAPHIC DESIGN
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON: Kicking off our new graphic design department of Allied8, we were thrilled to work with our marketing specialist, Jill Jago, to help the University of Washington’s Construction Management department rebrand their promotional material and get ready for their big Conference in March.
EB LOGO AND BUSINESS CARD DESIGN: This logo design was created to incorporate the letters “e” and “b” of the business’s name, while also showing its relationship to numbers and math.
OFFICE WEDDING: One of our office mates is getting married! As one of our first allied8 graphic design projects we were able to make super personalized save the date artwork for their special day!
LIGHTING DESIGN
STOREFRONT: What is a sign? What is a sign for? It can be counterintuitive, but architecture, signage, branding, and lighting can all go hand in hand. Here we are studying how different approaches to lighting impact wayfinding, sign legibility, and street appeal.
WHIDBEY ISLAND ADDITION: The installers recently put the finishing touches on our home addition at Whidbey island. Here we focused on lighting the edges of the rooms to make it feel larger and more open. A significant portion of the lighting is also reflected – meaning it is bouncing off of the walls, floors, and ceilings to give the home a cozy feel.
MOCKUPS: How much light is enough light? Will LED tape be bright enough? A great way to answer these kinds of questions is through a quick mockup with light fixture samples. Here we’re comparing three different kinds of lights to determine which packs enough punch while also staying within our budget for an apartment. When in doubt, test it.
KIRKLAND ADDITION/REMODEL: Lighting is an excellent tool for drawing focus to the important elements of a design. It may be important to celebrate a beautiful material, create a feeling, or a make a moment memorable. For our home remodel/addition in Kirkland, we’re using light, material, and color to achieve all these goals. Rather than drawing attention to itself, the lighting design is understated and will instead be used to highlight the volume, material, and finishes of the home.
