Beyond Housing: Activating the Downtown Core Through Community Components

Central business districts across the U.S. are experiencing a degree of emptiness. Despite return-to-office efforts, Seattle’s downtown commercial core is currently five times more vacant than before the pandemic. ¹

Many firms have studied the feasibility of converting office space to residential units, with a close eye on existing building types, cost efficiency, and economy of space.² However, an increase in residential units alone will not revitalize downtown.

This proposal offers a vision for a vibrant city center in which the community components of daily life are integrated. Mixed-income housing must be supported by education, work, green spaces, arts, culture, services, and street initiatives. Investing in amenities and a diversity of space types creates resilience and adaptability while supporting a dynamic urban life and transforms underutilized areas into livable, equitable, thriving urban communities.

Housing

Providing mixed-income and multi-generational housing with supportive housing, cohousing, and coliving for people of all backgrounds.

Green Spaces

Infusing the city with amenities for recreation, growing food, and engaging with nature through parks, gardens, and plazas.

Goods and Services

Incentivizing building owners to attract small businesses providing access to food, healthcare, and childcare for all.

Education + Work

Collaborating with schools and vocational training providers to bring educational facilities to downtown.

Streets

Applying Seattle Streets Illustrated guidelines to prioritize multi-modal and pedestrian travelers while redirecting through traffic to key streets.

Arts + Culture

Prioritizing additional funding to expand the existing Metropolitan Improvement District, creating and supporting the development of third places.

Cited Sources

Studies for Office-to-Residential Conversion

Badger, Emily, and Larry Buchanan. “Here’s How to Solve a 25-Story Rubik’s Cube.” The New York Times, 11 Mar. 2023, www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/11/upshot/office-conversions.html?searchResultPosition=107. 

Paynter, Steven. “What We’ve Learned by Assessing More than 300 Potential Office-to-Residential Conversions.” Gensler, 16 June 2022, www.gensler.com/blog/what-we-learned-assessing-office-to-residential-conversions. 

Phillips, Eric, et al. “Reinventing Aging Office Buildings.” NBBJ, www.nbbj.com/ideas/aging-office-buildings-are-having-a-midlife-crisis. Accessed 11 May 2023.

Studies for Office Vacancy

Roberts, Paul. “Seattle-Area Office Market Makes Painful Adjustments.” The Seattle Times, 5 Feb. 2023, www.seattletimes.com/business/seattle-area-office-market-makes-painful-adjustments-to-post-covid-normal/. 

Soper, Taylor. “Seattle-Area Office Market ‘clearly Struggling’ and ‘Highly Volatile.’” GeekWire, 6 Apr. 2023, www.geekwire.com/2023/seattle-area-office-market-clearly-struggling-and-highly-volatile/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CLooking%20forward%2C%20future%20office%20demand,nearly%20double%20pre%2Dpandemic%20levels

UW Distinguished Alumni Awards

On April 13th, 2023. One of our principals, Grace Kim, was regarded by the University of Washington as a Disntingushed Alumni. The award recognizes Kim for all of efforts in mentoring for her efforts in creating opportunities for future generations of architects. The following is her reflection on the evening:

“ I was honored to be recognized along with some impressive practitioners. But we were awed and inspired by the GOLD recipients- they have accomplished so much in their first decade of their career. Allan is doing meaningful community work, Yasaman and Megan are teaching and inspecting a new generation of architects. Having met them early in their careers, it was rewarding to see what they’ve accomplished already. We are so hopeful of what they will achieve through their career.”

- Grace Kim

2023 Schemata Workshop Staff Retreat

On May 1st, the Schemata staff came together virtually and in person for our annual staff retreat. This year's theme, “Frogger Happiness,” served as a framework for discussions about improving efficiency in our work environment so that we can make time for our individual passions and areas of interest both at and outside of work. The retreat also included a collaborative art project and a walk down to the Seattle waterfront to visit one of our recently-completed projects, the Union pedestrian street bridge. We ended the day with happy hour at Old Stove Brewery on the Pike Place Marketfront.

Alec Attends the International Passive House Conference

Schemata Architect, Alec Gardner, recently attended the International Passive House Conference held in Germany. The following is a description of his experience as well as some his takeaways upon reflection.

The 26th International Passive House (PH) Conference took place in March 2023, in Wiesbaden, Germany, located some 30 minutes from Darmstadt, where Dr. Feist's pioneering doctoral research began in 1988. As I traveled to the conference venue by train in the freezing cold weather, I reflected on the significance and legacy of his "House without Heating". 

Instead of the obvious PH benefits of reduced greenhouse gases, superior indoor air quality, and thermal comfort, let's consider four additional advantages.

1.  Energy independence and security - Current political and military tensions on energy markets result in hyperinflated utility costs that ultimately put customers in danger.

2. Energy capacity reduction - Relieving aging and vulnerable power grids saves tax payer money on costly and protracted infrastructure upgrades, and gives residents the ability to comfortably endure power outages.

3. Lower energy costs - Critical upkeep costs for public buildings, such as affordable housing, schools, and recreational facilities become more affordable for budget-strapped neighborhoods.

4. Decarbonization - As cities all over the world are ratcheting up to hit their 2030 climate goals, the most practical option is improving energy efficiency in existing building stock. In contrast, alternative solutions, such as large scale renewable energy production, mass electrification of cars, and large public transportation improvements face significant challenges in implementation.

Welcome to the Staff, Michael!!!

Schemata has added a new face to the staff. Meet Michael Walsh, a recent transplant from Sacramento, California. We had Michael answer a few questions from our New Hire questionnaire. Here are his responses:

If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point in the future or in history would you visit? 

It might be a short visit, but I think I would choose some period during the reign of the dinosaurs. The earth was so incredibly different from the flora to the fauna.  It would be fascinating to see how different it was…even if I didn’t last long in that environment.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

The Therme Vals in the Swiss Alps. It was the first real piece of Architecture (with a capital A) that blew my socks off. It has been close to the top of my Architecture bucket list ever since.

If your home were burning down, after family members and pets, what three things would you try to save?

Not really sure too much matters to me after pets and family, since most things are replaceable to a large degree. So, I would probably grab handmade pieces of art. A blown glass vase that I made, my favorite painting, and a ceramic/textile art piece that I have.

If you could talk to any one person now living or dead, who would it be and why?

I am a firm believer that you need to be careful what you wish for with questions like this. That being said, I would say my maternal grandfather.  He lived in Florida most of my young life, then died when I was in High School.  I have heard such wonderful things about him, and the bit of real interaction I remember with him was so great. It would be very special to be able to have a conversation with him now that I am an adult.

If you had to give up one of your senses (taste, smell, touch, sight, hearing), which would it be and why?

Smell – while this would affect the sense of taste also, it seems like this would have the least detrimental impact on day-to-day life.

If you were an animal, what would you be and why? 

This is such a hard question.  I am all over the board wanting to choose a water animal or an animal that can fly.  In the end, since I have to choose, it would be a Kestral.  Being so small, fierce, and able to fly would be such a different experience.

Do you have any pets? If not, what sort of pet would you like?

Currently, I have a 5-year-old border collie mix named Lanka.

Name a gift you will never forget. 

My birthday is at the middle/end of March, and in 2020 it was on the Saturday of the weekend that the Sacramento area really went into full lockdown. I have some friends who brought me a bunch of frozen food, and we hung out at separate ends of my driveway and talked.  It was a period when it really meant so much for them to go out of their way to do something nice. 

What is one of your favorite family traditions? 

This isn’t a tradition, but making sure that people around me know how I feel and my appreciation.  This is something that my father has always emphasized, and I feel is very important.  This sort of thing is too often taken for granted in everyday life, and people should know you care or that you are appreciative.

What is your favorite thing to do in the summer? 

In the last couple of years, it has been going for a ride, in less populated parts, on my motorcycle.