Weber + Thompson-designed Bagley Lofts Bring Hip Homes to Seattle's Wallingford Neighborhood
SEATTLE—August 30, 2006—The success of Bagley Lofts, a mixed-use residential project that is bringing an untested design concept to Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood, has proved homebuyers are hungry for this new style of condominiums.
Confident that buyers wanted tall, light-filled homes with large, warehouse style windows, the developer worked with Seattle-based Weber + Thompson to design what is one of the neighborhood's first loft projects. It was a gamble because this kind of design typically is found in older buildings in industrial areas, not in new projects in neighborhoods such as Wallingford.
The gamble, however, paid off. Buyers snapped up all but two of the 43 homes well before construction was completed this summer. The success can be attributed to the design goal, which was to create for the market a different kind of product—something that would appeal to single, urban professionals, young couples and grad students, who are attracted to the neighborhood that is near the University of Washington. "We wanted to capture the energetic essence of Wallingford," said Weber + Thompson Principal Kristen Scott, AIA.
Complicating the design challenge was the site itself. Bagley Lofts is at the corner of North 45th Street, which is a bustling commercial corridor, and Bagley Avenue North, a quieter street with single-family homes just a short distance away. To connect these two incongruous parts of the neighborhood, Weber + Thompson designed a commercial façade of brick on 45th Street. But along Bagley, the team took advantage of the site's generous width and created traditional residential stoops and yards.
The stoops and yards, which are complemented by generous landscaping, help connect the building with the rest of the street and the smaller homes next door. "Plus they create places for neighbors to interact," says Project Manager Mindy Black, a Weber + Thompson associate.
Homes on the east side of Bagley Lofts also have their own stoops. This avoided creating a large blank wall on the interior side of the building that would have been visible to westbound traffic on 45th Street. The stoops activate the alley, providing visual interest on all sides of Bagley Lofts. Wrought-iron screens provide an attractive buffer between the residential units and the neighboring retail space, which has been leased to a wine and dessert bar.
"It's unusual for a mixed-use development in a commercial zone to have residential units on the ground floor, especially a loft project," said Scott. "More often, the entire first floor would be retail. The result of this project is a different concept in loft design that is distinctively scaled for Wallingford."
"We could have designed regular condominium units and fit an additional level of homes into the project, but the client was very enthusiastic about creating the loft spaces," said Black. "A lot of their ideas helped jump start the design process and resulted in some inventive ways to use the space."
Weber + Thompson's interior architects designed the lofts as contemporary spaces with spare lines and innovative space concepts. Many of the lofts have three mini-levels, creating flexible spaces to accommodate different lifestyles. Black and her colleagues used extensive daylight modeling to ensure the abundant natural light reached the back of the unit and that the right kind of shading devices were installed to reduce glare.
The tall ceilings and vertical arrangement of the rooms in each home create a spacious feel that is further enhanced by the warehouse-style windows. All units include an outdoor space for residents; ground floor homes have the stoops, upper residences have balconies, and the penthouses have rooftop decks.
The taller heights of the units in the three-story building resulted in another benefit: impressive views throughout more of the property. "We knew that the penthouses would have some fantastic views, but we were pleased to find out that many of the second-floor homes have great views of downtown as well, thanks to the higher ceilings and windows," said Scott.
Homes at Bagley Lofts range in size from 740 to 1,400 square feet. There are three types of units: studios, or standard loft homes; one-bedrooms, which consist of a loft with a separate alcove for a bed or an office; and two-bedrooms, which have a separate bedroom in addition to the loft space. Prices range from $312,990 to $995,000. Williams Marketing is the exclusive listing agency.
Project Team
Owner and Developer: Bagley Lofts, LLC
Architecture and Interiors: Weber + Thompson
- Kristen Scott, AIA, LEED AP, Architect
- Mindy Black, LEED AP, Project Manager
- Laura Greenamyer, Interior Designer
General Contractor: Bagley Lofts, LLC
Structural Engineer: DCI Engineers
Landscape Architect: Integrated Site Design
Exclusive Residential Listing Agent: Williams Marketing
About Weber + Thompson
Seattle-based Weber + Thompson is a full-service West Coast design firm specializing in architecture, interior design, planning and landscape architecture. The award-winning company has an experienced staff of nearly 100 design and construction professionals. Since 1987, Weber + Thompson has developed a diverse practice with projects that include master-planned communities, high-rises, high-density urban infill, residential, hospitality, senior housing and commercial office projects. Weber + Thompson seeks effective results through a thoughtful and collaborative design process.
For more information, visit www.weberthompson.com
or contact Weber + Thompson at 206- 344-5700
or info@weberthompson.com.