Condo Towers Try to Stand Out In A Shaky Housing Market

The recent construction boom has fueled the demand for new and creative ways to give residential and commercial buildings decorative high-tech images.

With the smooth and sleek styling of metal and the ability to bend, curve, texture, and join together, exterior metals are taking center stage in today’s downtown landscapes. 5th & Madison is a 24-story high rise condo tower in the heart of downtown Seattle. Holaday Parks installed 17,000 stainless steel shingles on the side of the building as well as entrance canopies, handrails, and guardrails. The condominiums feature many industrial style elements, and Turner Construction, the general contractor on the project, was able to complement the exposed mechanical design with steel-finished fireplace wraps.

With so many condo projects nearing completion, developer Kennedy Wilson Inc. is even adding a 300 sq ft dog park to the project so residents can exercise their pets on-site.

Seattle - Equinox is another one of the housing projects hugging Lake Union on the North side of downtown Seattle. The 410-unit project is comprised of three four-story buildings all connected in a center courtyard.

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Owned by Schnitzer Northwest and under construction by Charter Construction, Inc, Seattle, the building unusual for its use of prefabricated stud walls. Charter Construction is known for its high-end custom residential work. “We started in the mixed use residential market about 6 years ago, says Frank Firmani, company president. “We have done a lot of work repairing water-damaged condos. “Developers realized that if you built condos incorrectly the results could be disastrous, because of the building defects laws in Washington State.” Prior to 2006, contractors could be sued for damages, if the building was not constructed exactly to specifications.

Dean Jolly, the senior project manager for Equinox, is well familiar with condo and other housing projects through his work in Alaska building housing at military bases.

The building sits against the hill right under I-5. “The biggest concern we had was the noise from the freeway,” says Jolly. The team is now studying several kinds of windows to see which one will block out the most noise.

The site is wet, and required major dewatering, especially during the winter months. Pumps will remain in the northeast corner, under the parking garage. To ensure a dry garage, Charter used Hi-crete, a waterproof concrete.

Home prices will run between $200,000s to $800,000. The seller has negotiated a special financing for early purchasers. Qualified buyers can take advantage of special, with a starting interest rate as low as 4.5 percent.

Anchors the Northside of Residential Development

The base of the 150-unit tower is faced in four stories of modulated brick. Above the base, it steps back and is wrapped in steel, glass and concrete and topped with a sculptural roof. The loft condominiums range from 500 to 2000 sq ft for flats and townhouses, and are priced from $250,000 to $1 million.

All units feature open floor plans, 10-foot high concrete ceilings, exposed ductwork and floor-to-ceiling glass. Community facilities in the building include living room-style common areas, a green roof terrace, library and art gallery, three levels of below-grade parking, a business center, workout area and cafe.

Re-Thinking the Code

Traditional Seattle zoning for high rises requires a step-back at 65 feet and another at 85 feet. Within the mandatory design review process, this project proposed a different building modulation that would benefit the owner, occupants and city. The base of the entire building is set back 6 feet along a designated green street to create space for townhouse stoops and plantings. The next step-back occurs at the 4-story mark, consistent with the historic scale of the neighborhood. The resulting building is smaller at the bottom and bigger at the top to create more development value, and is welcomed by the entire community.

Environmental Sustainability

This project includes recycled and local/regional materials, 50 percent FSC certified wood products, ultra-efficient HVAC systems and low VOC finishes. Along the 6-foot set-back, landscaping and hard-scaping comprise a rain garden for stormwater through reuse to irrigate the drought-resistant water cleansing and retention, xeriscaping, natural shading, and areas for pedestrians, all edged with terraced entries to street-level townhouses. Water consumption is reduced by 30 percent plants and green roof which doubles as a community gathering place.

Key Players Project
Names : Mosler Lofts
Owner : The Schuster Group, Seattle
Architect : Mithun Partners, Seattle
Contractor : JE Dunn, Kirkland, Wash.
Structural Engineer : Cary Kopczynski & Co., Bellevue, Wash.

Cyan Goes for European Efficiency in Design

Cyan, located near Portland State University is almost an anti-condo. Instead of extravagence, it offers middle-income buyers peak efficiency at an affordable price in 850 sq ft or less.

“This is workforce housing,” says Damin Tarlow, development manager for Gerding Edlen, Portland. “I think everybody will be copying us soon.”

Tarlow and his colleagues traveled to Europe and Asia looking for tips on how to pack as many amenities as possible into the smaller-than-average units. Using 24-inch wide appliances, and going with the idea that “small is the new black,” the team created a building with 350 units all priced below $400,000. In the Northwest urban areas, the price is well below average.

To work with the odd sizes, the general contractor Hoffman Construction, Portland, took full advantage of the model units.

“There were some constructability issues, but we were able to work them out there,” says Bill Drinkward, Hoffman construction manager. Odd sized appliances were available from a local supplier.

As with all Gerding projects, Cyan will be LEED certified. This one will be gold, says Tarlow.

About 25 people per day go through the sales office. “There is no doubt sales have dropped off,” says Tarlow. “It’s good and it’s bad. Now people are buying for the right reasons again. We never really wanted to buy our condos they could just flip them.”

The design “doesn’t make the units seem small at all,” says Drinkward. “It’s not going to fit three kids and a dog, but a single person or a couple will do just great.”