Drawing inspiration from the landscapes of the San Juan Islands, a new seven-story, 384-unit apartment community in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood embodies the spirit of nature in both practice and design. Sitka, developed by local Vulcan Real Estate, aims to be one of the most sustainable multifamily buildings in the region by targeting LEED Platinum certification and local 2030 energy efficiency goals. For its continued efforts, the project earned a Grand Award in the Best Innovative Energy Design category at this year’s Gold Nugget Awards at PCBC.
Designed by local architecture firm Runberg Architecture Group, the community’s three cabin-like buildings are subtly angled to create a backdrop to the adjacent Cascade Park, while the south wing’s sloped green roof allows natural light into the tree-filled courtyard. As the courtyard design evolved, the owner wanted to incorporate a raised viewing platform to offer residents an additional respite from the urban chaos.
Lead Pencil Studio designed the 220-square-foot perched treehouse, which sits on a 3-foot-by-3-foot concrete column that extends down to a footing beneath the parking garage. After crossing the sky bridge on level three, residents can use the treehouse to enjoy bench seating around a gas fireplace, a kitchenette, two booths for reading or games, and a small balcony that overlooks the nature-inspired retreat below.