The development of Cascade Court Apartments, a townhouse and multi-family housing development in a Seattle historic district, was initiated by a private individual, Priscilla Collins. She contributed the property next to her landmark home, the Stimson-Green mansion in Seattle, at 25% of its cost to a non-profit corporation. Her agreement with the developer was that the site be used for affordable housing for families with children.

Within walking distance of downtown Seattle on First Hill, Cascade Court has been designed with architectural ties to the mansion and 100 units of housing with rents affordable to tenants earning 45-60% of the area’s median income. Winner of the AIA Project of the Month in April of 1995, the design of Cascade Court borrows respectfully from the exterior features of the Stimson Green Mansion, including hearth-like vertical elements, brackets, peaked roofs, gabled dormers, and even half-timbers, and the use of brick in the chimneys and base of building. The scale of the mansion is also respected. The U-shaped plan begins with the three-story townhouses next to the mansion and then steps up to five-story flat units at the other end of the site with a landscaped courtyard between two wings.

GGLO accomplished the client's design objective by developing dignified housing for a variety of low-income tenant profiles.

Land partially donated by Priscilla Collins. City of Seattle 9% tax credit.

Contain construction and lifecycle costs:

Minimizing the lifecycle costs of the project was important to the client. High quality, long lasting, low maintenance materials were used on the exterior and interior of the housing. Synthetic stucco or EIFS was used as a long-term solution to the exterior material. The acrylic finish is durable and cleanable and offers the ability to create architectural detail economically in the design. Solid core doors are used throughout the project to help resist damage which has been an ongoing maintenance expense in other apartment projects. VCT tile is used in kitchens in lieu of vinyl flooring to better withstand wear.

The approach to construction and cost control included negotiating with the contractor and continually applying value engineering to the project throughout the phases of design. At the time of construction the entire team had full understanding of the project goals program and budget.

Meet high aesthetic standards:

The client and architect of this project strongly believe that affordable housing should not look like low income or subsidized housing. The design for this building was developed to blend with the context, the scale of the building massing and materials of the neighborhood specifically, the adjacent historical mansion. The EIFS exterior provided a medium to create layers and reveals that brought detail to the design. The building form responds to the neighboring mansion by stepping down in scale and using complementary color and brick detailing.

The interior lobby and common area is designed to have a very residential feel and scale. The lobby has stained wood details with a window seat facing the central courtyard.

Support physical safety and security:

Safety and security were prime considerations in the design of the Cascade Court apartments. Admittance to the building is through a building entry system that utilizes an intercom system between the residents' units and the gated courtyard. Resident parking is located on a separate floor with secure gates and keyed entry to the elevators. The courtyard and playground is fenced to provide a comfortable and secure exterior space. Within units the security measures include window locks that allow windows to be partially open, view ports at the doors, and the intercom connection to the front door.