MOD X Scotland - a reflection from Geoff Anderson

Schemata Workshop and many of its staff members have been actively engaged in initiatives and advocacy efforts to promote the adoption of modular and prefabricated construction in the Pacific Northwest. This work involves participation in the Housing Development Consortium’s (HDC’s) Offsite Construction Task Force (OCTF), which focuses on advancing policy and practice to support the delivery of affordable housing through offsite construction methods.

This ongoing work served as the motivation for Geoff Anderson, principal at Schemata Workshop, to participate in MOD X Scotland this past November. The goal was to gain a deeper understanding of how Scotland’s prefabrication industry is evolving and to identify lessons that could be applied in our own region.

MOD X is leading a national effort known as the HUD Breakthrough Regional Pilots Project. The initiative is designed to help regions across the country harness the potential of offsite construction to address housing supply shortages, accelerate delivery timelines, and strengthen community resilience. A key objective of the Scotland trip was to learn how similar goals are being pursued in Scotland, and how they might translate to the Pacific Northwest.

Geoff joined 22 other participants, primarily from the U.S., representing a broad cross-section of the industry, including educators, builders, general contractors, housing developers, manufacturers, and architects. Over four full days, the group participated in tours, educational sessions, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.

Alexander Timber Design

Touring Scotland’s Prefabrication Ecosystem

The itinerary included visits to five prefabrication manufacturing facilities and a master-planned housing development, as well as tours of the BE-ST Innovation Center and the Trimble Technology Lab. The group also attended BE-ST Fest, a summit focused on building technology, sustainability, and innovation.

Through these visits, we gained insight into the history and current state of manufactured housing in Scotland. Primarily, the manufacturing we observed focused on panelized construction, although there is ongoing research into modular construction using cross-laminated timber (CLT) at the innovation center. Much like the Pacific Northwest, Scotland relies heavily on timber as a primary building material for housing.

The factories we toured were former lumber yards that invested in infrastructure and technology to transition into manufacturing plants. Furthermore, some of these factories have formed strong partnerships and have even been acquired by home builders, resulting in a vertically integrated industry that spans raw material sourcing, fabrication, and final home delivery.

CCG Plant

Manufacturing Approaches and Innovation

We saw a wide range of manufacturing approaches, ranging from manual fabrication by small teams to nearly fully automated operations resembling high-tech automotive plants. We also explored the differences between open-panel and closed-panel construction methods. Open panels typically consist of framing and one side of sheathing, requiring that the insulation, building systems, and finishes still must be completed onsite. Closed panels, by contrast, arrive with much of the assembly already complete. With a closed panel, there are some unique details required to finish and install things like plumbing and electrical onsite, as well as for securing the panels in place. From what we heard, there is a desire to move more towards closed panels, since it is seen as a more environmentally sustainable approach.

Winchburgh Master Plan

Key Takeaways for the Pacific Northwest

One of the most significant takeaways from the MOD X Scotland experience is the role that coordinated support plays in the success of the offsite construction industry. In Scotland, government agencies and universities have made sustained commitments to research, testing, and knowledge sharing. This support has helped foster innovation and has led to the creation of resources such as the BE-ST Innovation Center and the Trimble Technology Lab.

At the same time, home builders in Scotland appear to have embraced manufacturing as part of their housing delivery model, creating a reliable pipeline that supports industry growth. Conversations with manufacturers made it clear that both technology and construction methods are evolving rapidly, driven by ongoing investment and collaboration.

Many of these lessons feel directly transferable to the Pacific Northwest. As our region works to address the housing affordability crisis, the insights gained from Scotland reinforce the importance of collaboration, innovation, and long-term commitment. We look forward to continuing to support HDC’s Offsite Construction Task Force and contributing to the goals of the HUD Breakthrough Regional Pilots Project as this work moves forward.

Mike Mariano, cofounder and principal at Schemata Workshop, is currently at MOD X Boston as a follow-up to Schemata Workshop’s commitment to off-site construction. Come back soon to hear about his reflections.

got land?

In the 1990’s when print advertising was still a thing, the dairy industry got attention with it’s “Got Milk?” campaign, featuring those words in black on a white billboard. The ads, featuring celebrities sporting milk “moustaches”, appeared in newspapers and were pretty successful. It got attention, and milk consumption went up. 

Here in Seattle, while serving on the Board of the Housing Development Consortium, I proposed a similar ad campaign for “Got Land?” to encourage people in King County to consider donating land for the creation of affordable housing. However, the Housing Development Consortium, a non-profit devoted to ensuring that all people live with dignity in safe, healthy, and affordable homes, didn’t have the budget to broadcast it more widely at the time. 

Most people are painfully aware of the current housing crisis, but many landowners sitting on vacant properties may be unaware that they can help alleviate it. Aside from the personal tax benefits of a land donation, utilizing existing empty lots for infill housing is a great way to reinforce the social fabric of a neighborhood, avoid sprawl, utilize existing infrastructure to reduce costs, and begin to address the dearth of affordable housing in Seattle.

Back in 2018, an existing client of my architecture firm, Schemata Workshop, came to us with an interesting proposition: Chakorn Phisuthikul and Marilyn Heinemann were willing to donate a vacant piece of property they owned across the street from the Woodland Park Zoo, but only if it were for a home-ownership development that was guaranteed to be perpetually affordable. This was the start of a project Chakorn dubbed “ZuDu,” a cheeky homage to the Zoo’s annual donation of its manure for local gardeners to add to their compost.  As the project proceeded, donors reconsidered ZuDu, and the working name became PAHO (permanently affordable home ownership).

MOU signing at the Edge Developers office

Chakorn and Marilyn interviewed several local non-profit organizations dedicated to home-ownership opportunities in the region and eventually chose Homestead Community Land Trust (HCLT).  The organization continues to own the land, holding it in a legal trust, effectively removing the value of the land from the purchase price of a home, a strategy becoming more widespread in the effort to create more affordable housing. 

In December 2019, Chakorn and Marilyn entered into an agreement for the transfer of the land. Edge Developers were to serve as a development consultant, Schemata Workshop as the architect, and Edge Construction as the general contractor. The signing was also an acknowledgment of interdependence – not only between Chakorn and Marilyn with HCLT and their private/non-profit partnership, but also between private citizens and their greater community.

Woodland View groundbreaking

 Last spring PAHO broke ground with its final name, Woodland View. The project did not proceed without some struggle, common to many housing projects in Seattle. More than once Chakorn asked, “Why is it so hard for me to donate my land to build affordable housing?” The City has been moving to address many barriers to the development of affordable housing by streamlining permitting, exempting Design Review, increasing density, and incentivizing the development of middle housing on infill lots. We are hopeful that it will continue to become easier to develop affordable housing in the future. 

The twenty-five unit condominium building, expected to be completed in February of 2026, provides nineteen permanently affordable homes to income-qualifying buyers through the land trust, and six market-rate homes to help offset the initial home sale prices. All residents will benefit from the prime location, with access to the zoo and adjacent playground, proximity to neighborhood retail, and stunning views from the upper floors of the Cascades and Olympics. Most importantly, this affordable home ownership opportunity will allow hard-working families to put down roots and find housing stability for generations to come.

In a time when the government is unpredictable and federal resources are being cut for many basic and essential services, now is an ideal time for more private citizens like Chakorn and Marilyn to step up. Please reach out if you’re interested or know someone who is able to make a similar positive impact on livability in our region.

The Harvest as Resiliency

In today’s rapidly urbanizing world, resilience is no longer just a buzzword but necessary for a thriving community. At Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing (CHUC) in Seattle, resiliency is not an afterthought but an instigator for the community-built project. CHUC is a lived prototype for architects and Schemata Workshop co-founders, Grace Kim and Mike Mariano, who live upstairs and work in the street-level office space. In this 5-story building, nine households create a thriving, interdependent community rooted in shared values, meals, and mutual support. Privacy and the individual are supported by the knowing and understanding of each other. As with any group of people, it’s imperfect and requires commitment and working together. This is not just architecture or just housing, but a vision for urban living that fosters connection and resilience for generations to come.

Aerial Footage from Uytae Lee’s About Here on Youtube

Upper roof photovoltaic for energy harvesting.

Resilience goes beyond sustainability. Grace and Mike heard an architect at an international conference once describe sustainability like a personal relationship. If I said I had a sustainable relationship with a partner, that doesn’t sound like it’s very positive. If I have a resilient relationship, then we’re able to weather the ups & downs of a relationship, and a community can be resilient during environmental shocks and stresses. Resilience is embedded in every design decision now reflected in the building that nine families have called home for nearly a decade.

Garden roof photosynthesis for food and flower harvesting. We have a lot of happy pollinators.

A recent post on our whiteboard for the garden reminded us of resiliency in the context of the harvest.

We harvest daylight through our community courtyard at the heart of our community, bringing daylight and cross-ventilation to the homes. There is no enclosed, windowless corridor here; residents move throughout the community on covered outdoor balconies. Resident life is visible in this intimate courtyard space, plants draping over balconies, the sound of resident life coming through open doors and windows, and activity on every level.

Courtyard birthday celebration (during the Pandemic - the space brought us together)

We harvest energy from the sun through the photovoltaic panels on our upper roof. We’re a small site, and the payback on solar panels is long due to our (currently) low-cost hydroelectric power provided by one of the cleanest utility providers in the nation.

And, of course, the garden harvest on the lower roof. Photosynthesis generates fresh food that nourishes our community – produce used on site by residents, and an entire bed of produce cared for by one resident family is delivered to the nearby Byrd-Barr Place food bank.

Grace shares her lived experience and work in cohousing in her 2017 TED Talk about how cohousing can make us happy and live longer.

As profiled in the book Ideal Cities, CHUC exemplifies the kind of intentional community that contributes to the neighborhood social fabric while addressing environmental challenges.

CHUC is not just a place to live but a model of what’s possible when architecture, community, and sustainability intersect with intention.

Learn more about CHUC at our monthly Saturday tour!

Click the link and use code RESILIENCE for free tickets until the end of 2025!

Project Spotlight: Family Resource Center

Over the past few years, Schemata Workshop has been working together with Open Doors for Multicultural Families (ODMF) and Mercy Housing Northwest to create a Multicultural Village (MCV), a mixed-use, affordable housing development centered on the needs of people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDDs). Below the approximately 233 residential units of the MCV, ODMF will operate a Family Resource Center (14,000sf), an inclusive Early Learning Center (10,000sf), and their own administrative Offices (8,000sf).

The Family Resource Center aims to provide people with IDDs and their families—many of whom are immigrants, refugees, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)—culturally and linguistically relevant and responsive services, such as case management, mental health and education support, and advocacy. ODMF currently serves over 2,000 families every year, and the Family Resource Center will expand ODMF’s capacity.

ODMF will offer support for housing, employment, and overall navigation of government-offered services. They will also offer programming that promotes health and wellness as well as advocacy training. Programs are offered for people of all ages with IDDs, including after-school programs for youth and full-day programs for adults. The Early Learning Center, which is being designed by CAST, will integrate small children of all abilities alongside those with IDDs.

Lobby

From the beginning of the project, Schemata focused on how best to serve individuals with IDDs and their caregivers and families. Schemata conducted multiple user focus groups with ODMF staff and their clients to ensure that the programming and physical design of the building will meet their needs. We also visited buildings in Portland that are known for their inclusive designs as well as the Assistive Technology Lab operated by Community Vision.

While Universal Design principles were not new for Schemata Workshop, in designing the Family Resource Center, our team incorporated the Kelsey Inclusive Design Standards to go beyond ADA accessibility requirements to make the building accessible and usable for people of all abilities. To accommodate sensory sensitivities prevalent in people with IDDs the design utilizes color for wayfinding, adjustable lighting, variation in room size, and careful consideration of air volume in the heating and ventilation systems as well as ample and strategic placement of acoustic materials. Warm wood tones, a variety of textures in the materials, and durability of finishes round out the design.

This unique project will bring much-needed housing to the IDD community and other individuals and families in the South Seattle and Kent, WA, area, while also providing the human services critical for people with IDDs to thrive. ODMF will have their offices directly adjacent to the program areas to ensure seamless delivery of multilingual and culturally relevant services.

Teen Room

The Family Resource Center at the Multicultural Village will be a one-of-a kind facility that will serve as a national exemplar for Inclusive Design for people with IDDs.

Our team consisted of ODMF, the owner, Lotus Development, the development consultant, and Walsh Construction, the contractor.

Additional Information:

Multicultural Village

ODMF Family Resource Center

Open Doors for Multicultural Families

One Year Fully Charged: Silverdale Transit Center Turns One!

It has officially been one year since the Silverdale Transit Center opened, and its impact is already being felt across Central Kitsap. As the region continues to grow, the transit center has become a vital hub in connecting residents with jobs, schools, services, and shopping centers while easing congestion in the area.

It has taken nearly a decade of meticulous planning and design. Every detail, from the infrastructure layout to the rider experience, was carefully considered. What stands today is the result of tireless collaboration with Kitsap Transit, Parametrix, SCI Construction, and others, all committed to creating a space that is not only functional but forward-thinking and built to serve the residents of Central Kitsap County.

The Silverdale Transit Center includes eight bus bays along with a canopy shelter for riders, bike storage, and a bus driver comfort station. Sidewalks and paths surrounding the transit center are planted with an assortment of edible plants. The facility showcases Washington’s first wireless in-ground charging systems to support Kitsap Transit’s fleet of electric buses, supporting Kitsap Transit’s commitment to sustainable transportation.

The canopy for the transit center emerged from a thoughtful, multi-phase design process including site-specific analysis, precedent research, functional programming, and material strategy. More than just a rain shelter, the canopy reflects Kitsap County’s strong dedication to public transit, creating a civic gesture that is indicative of the public investment.

Design began with a thorough analysis of the site’s climate, orientation, and movement patterns.  Understanding pedestrian circulation, bus operations, and sun and wind exposure helped shape the canopy’s scale and alignment. The canopy needed to provide effective weather protection while maintaining clear sight lines for safety. The broader urban context further influenced its role as a visual anchor within the transit hub, offering not only shelter but a sense of arrival and placemaking.

The final design creates a striking, graceful silhouette with a blend of steel and concrete that plays with the relationship between structure and transparency. The enclosed structure is a tilt-up concrete building that houses the bus driver facilities as well as the backup generator for the bus charging system.  While tilt-up is typically used for warehouse structures, this modest facility was a clever puzzle of interlocking pieces to create openings and interest. The long canopy offers shelter for waiting passengers, clear organization of boarding zones, compliance with accessibility standards, and a creative way to signify its usage.

This time-lapse video demonstrates the scale of the transit hub and the innovative technologies integrated.

Below are some of the articles that have been written by the local media:

Kitsap Sun
Kitsap Daily News