Tsuga Townhomes, Seattle Real Estate, Washington Housing Development, Architecture Images
Tsuga Townhomes in Seattle
May 8, 2021
Tsuga Townhomes
Architecture: Wittman Estes
Location: Seattle, Washington, USA

Rapidly escalating construction costs in Seattle have resulted in high volume, low quality market rate housing. In 2019, housing construction costs in Seattle were the sixth highest in the world, averaging $338/SF. The high cost of construction led to a proliferation of generic production housing, transforming Seattle into neighborhoods of hermetically sealed faux-modern boxes, built of low-cost materials and disconnected from the outdoors.

Tsuga Townhomes set out to resolve this paradox of low cost and high quality, working to achieve excellent sustainable design while balancing the construction cost proforma. The three-unit urban infill project was completed for 44% below the cost of the Seattle average, while raising the bar for design and sustainability. Using design to maneuver complicated development restrictions, the project fit three dwellings on a 5,040 square foot site that was designated an environmentally critical area steep slope. The site plan?a careful composition of outdoor living spaces?includes a series of green roofs and bioretention planters, captures rainwater for plantings and reduces runoff. The design team selected energy efficient mechanical systems and went beyond the code for insulation to achieve Four Star Built Green certification.
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