Welcome to the Staff, Ellen!

Schemata has added a new architect and project manager to our staff. Meet Ellen Malmon, a long time Seattle Resident. We had Ellen answer a few questions from our New Hire questionnaire, here are some of her responses:

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

Japan to see the gardens, architecture and Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing! 

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

I have very few things besides old photographs and some family jewelry that couldn’t be replaced.  I would however want to save all the kitchen knives that I have collected over the years—they reflect many different eras in my life.  And maybe my bottle of Yellow Chartreuse since the monks decided they are not making much anymore. 

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

Eleanor of Aquitaine.  I read a fictional biography of her when I was younger and she seemed pretty cool, smart and powerful despite the horrendous Middle Ages she lived in. 

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

Probably hearing; While I would miss the voices of my loved ones and also listening to music, I think its loss would impact my ability to enjoy life the least. 

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

A dog. It doesn’t take much to make a dog happy. 

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

I am a dog person but my family includes a snowshoe cat named Dusty and a White’s tree frog named Caesar

Name a gift you will never forget. 

When I was a child, my father taught himself to make pizza and pasta from scratch by watching PBS.  I inherited his interest in cooking and a fearlessness in trying new cuisines.  Food is a major avenue of bonding in my family. 

What is one of your favorite family traditions? 

We used to go to Acadia National Park in Maine and stay in the same cabin on the water every summer. It was definitely our Happy Place.  Since moving to Seattle we have been trying to establish a similar tradition but there are too many new places in the PNW to explore!

What is your favorite thing to do in the summer?  Cooking out after a long day at the beach and relaxing with G&Ts.  The long Seattle summer evenings are the best! 

Silverdale Transit Center Project Update: Site-cast, Tilt-up Concrete Panels

In the heart of Silverdale, WA, near the growing Harrison Medical Center, Schemata Workshop leads the visionary architectural design of the Silverdale Transit Center. This bus transit center, comprising eight bays, will provide a seamless and comfortable experience for both riders and drivers alike. Positioned strategically as a gateway to SR 303 and the town, the center underscores the county's strong commitment to public transit, enhancing transportation efficiency for the community. The team's careful choice of materials, including steel and concrete with subtly exposed wood soffits, contributes to a low-maintenance and inviting atmosphere, welcoming riders with a blend of modernity and warmth.

During the constructability review of the Transit Center, Kitsap Transit (KT) prioritized the incorporation of exposed concrete to ensure both durability and a sense of civic quality, inspired by a similar and successful application at the Wheaton Way facility. The proposed height was retained, as it aligned with KT's vision of maintaining a prominent station presence, offering ample signage opportunities, and providing an enclosure for rooftop equipment and induction bus chargers. To determine the most suitable construction approach, the team's cost estimator meticulously analyzed various options, including CIP concrete, CMU block walls, off-site precast panels, and a hybrid solution with a metal framed/screened enclosure above a base volume. After careful evaluation, it was decided that site-cast tilt-up concrete panels were the optimal choice, driven by the availability of resources and qualified contractors. Despite prior experience with off-site fabrication of precast concrete panels, the project marked the team's first venture into the realm of site-cast tilt-up concrete, showcasing their willingness to embrace innovative solutions for a successful outcome.

Schemata 101: Summer Studio Session

In May and June, Schemata Workshop hosted a summer studio for Washington State University. We had 11 students in the office to study cohousing on an infill lot, incorporating the single stair code provision and mass timber construction.

The students toured and interviewed residents from Jackson Place Cohousing and Capitol Hill Urban Cohousing to learn what they liked about their built communities and what they wished were different to support their community life.

We had lectures from Mike Eliason, a single-family residential expert from Larch Lab, Bec Wilder from Green Canopy Node about cross laminated timber, and Joel Esselstrom - acoustical engineer from SSA. Mike Mariano gave a talk on EcoDistricts, and Grace Kim gave many talks related to cohousing design.

Students had 3 contiguous sites to work on. They were divided up in teams to develop buildings, establish building programs and identify a shared community resource for all 3 sites. They came up with strong design solutions - including a few unexpectedly innovative solution. The students were very engaged in the intense 6-week course. They were also extremely collaborative and collegial - taking full advantage of their physical environment and access to each other as resources.

Thanks to our final reviewers, John Abell (professor at WSU), Barbara Busetti (Allied 8), Susan Jones (Atelier Jones), and Mike Eliason (Larch Lab).

SAF Youth Workshop: Eco Villages

On May 14th, the Schemata staff spent a Saturday hosting a youth workshop in partnership with the Seattle Architecture Foundation. In the workshop, the students learned about ecovillages and used recycled materials to create an eco village of treehouses. Looking forward to hosting again next year!

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