Capitol Hill Building Analysis for PDF

8/7/2019 Capitol Hill Building Analysis for PDF

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A r c h i t e c t u r a l P r e c e d e n tExamples in the Capitol Hill NeighborhoodFebruary 2011

schemataworkshop

architects


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The Laurelhurst (1926)102 Harvard Avenue East, Harvard @ Denny1Typical of perhaps dozens of three to seven story residential buildings

found throughout Capitol Hill (and Seattle) and characterized by: simple

massing, light to medium brown toned brick, and terra-cotta trim; this

building successfully demonstrates how different elevations can be

designed within the same, restrained palette (two materials) and withonly subtle changes (measured in inches) in the facades detailing.

Elevation from Harvard & Denny

South (Denny) Elevation East (Harvard) Elevation

1.The building is a cube, with

a uniform pattern of windows

occurring on each elevation.

2.The entry is subtractive; its

surrounding frame made ofterra-cotta in-plane with the

adjacent brick.

3.The top of the building is

distinguished from the lower

levels by a terra-cotta sill-band

and terra-cotta detail aroundsome of the windows.

4.The first three and one

half floors are identical in

expression (except at the entry,

as noted above), leading to a

two-part building (base-top)

design, honoring the approach

taken at the detail level.

5. This section of the North

elevation is representative of

the approach the architects

used in detailing the building:

it is set back from the adjacentplanes by the depth of one

brick (4), as well as the piers

between the windows also

being revealed at the depth of

one brick. The deployment of

terra-cotta is consistent with

the rest of the building. The

brick displays subtle changesin tone.

5

3

4

2

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Elevation from Harvard & Denny

South (Denny) Elevation

East (Harvard) Elevation


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2 The Belroy (1930)Bellevue Avenue East, Bellevue @ RoyA building by famed local architect and University of Washington

professor Lionel Pries, and a fine example of early modernist apartment

design. With the exception of the concrete foundation, brick is used

for the cladding material. A unique massing to the east relates to the

views of Elliot Bay.

Oblique Elevation from Bellevue & Roy

South Elevation

South Elevation Detail

1. Alternating bands of paintedbrick, breaking down the buildings

apparent mass as well as relates to

the floor levels.

3. Steel windows add a fine

level of detail, as does setting

them back one brick course from

the adjacent surfaces giving a

nice depth and shadow to an

otherwise planar facade. Projecting

brick sills interrupt the bands ofpainted brick The painted area

has rotated bricks in thin bands at

window heads and between sills,

resembling the dentils of classical

architecture (perhaps an homage

to the more traditional neighboring

apartments?).

2. Bay windows of different

configurations adorn the eastern

portion of the South elevation.

Their materiality matches that of

the adjacent building surfaces,

grounding their unique shapes

within the vocabulary of the rest of

the building.

1

2

3

Oblique Elevation from Bellevue & Roy

South Elevation

South Elevation Detail

3

2


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1 2

3

1. A richly textured shake roof

unies the various volumes.

2. Wood clads the dormers and the

end gables and sub-divides large

openings within the masonry.

3. The individual masonry units have

a variety of sizes and shades, yet

share texture..

4

4. This gabled form with its Gothic

arches is unique, yet not out of

place as it is unied within the

overall building composition through

the same materials.

5

South Elevation (Roy Street)

East Elevation (Broadway)



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5. For this (and other) largeopenings, wood framing was used,

giving the opening lightness and

transparency.

6. The openings here are punched

into the masonry, similar to 4

(above) and are detailed in a similar

manner to 5 (above).

6

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3 The Loveless Building (1931)711 Broadway East, Broadway @ RoyA Capitol Hill landmark, the Loveless Building exhibits a near plethora

of form and colors; however, it succeeds architecturally because of

its quality materials, unied massing, and sympathetic color palette.

The design is not overwhelming or capricious; instead, the buildings

complexity is cohesive and exemplary.


South Elevation (Roy Street)




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4 Serena Apartments (1926)633 12th Avenue East, 12th @ RoyAlthough a small building, these apartments none the less present a big

lesson in the design of bay windows, or for any other similar types of

volumetric manipulation: not every change in building volume requires a

change in color or material; in fact, relying on the expressive qualities of

light and shadow on a neutral backgrounds is quite effective.

West Elevation (12th Avenue)

North Elevation (Roy Street)

North Elevation Detail

1. Two types of bays adorn this

north elevation, with four being

paired together. The closest bay

in this diagram is squared off

without the gabled roofs of the

other four, yet it has the same

material and detail.

3. The 12th Avenue (entry)

elevation contains the same

basic approach as found alongthe north, but here a subtractive

entry is incorporated into the

additive, twin gabled form.

1

2. The value of this building

is best shown in this image: a

uniform material (in this case

stucco) on both the main body of

the building and the projections

is enriched by the wood trim used

to frame the windows. The depth,

shadow play, and finer scaled

texture of this detail is a strong

contrast with adjacent stucco

surfaces.

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3

North Elevation (Roy Street)

West Elevation (12th Avenue)


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5 611 Malden Lane (1907)Between Roy and Mercer StreetsA small apartment building with large aspirations. The use of the parking

garages to extend the landscape (providing usable decks) also robustly

defines the apartment entry sequence and commands ones attention,

giving the building a gravitas that belies its otherwise diminutive scale.


West Elevation (Malden)

Southeast Elevation Southeast Elevation Detail

1. Polished aluminum metal work

establishes the buildings art-

deco credentials.

2.The building has horizontally

proportioned steel sash windows.

3. A wood door (with polished

aluminum pulls) surrounded

by glass block and framed by

curved brick furthers the art-deco

ambiance.

4.The apartment portion is a

simple cube .

5.The entry is an additive 1/4

cube.

6.The apartment is set back from

the street. Two cubic parking

garages provide a plinth for the

apartment, providing a unified

edge to the sidewalk.

7. A respite from the cubic

massing is provided by a pair of

curved bays, clad in the same

brick as the rest of the apartment

and garages.

West Elevation (Malden)

Southeast Elevation

Southeast Elevation Detail

7

6

4

5

2

3

1


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The Kingshire (1958)1401 Harrison Street East, 14th Avenue @ Harrison6

Oblique Elevation from Harvard and Denny

A dignified and deceptively simple apartment that reveals sophisticated

complexity upon further examination. Painted brick, a lush, roof top

garden, and a variety of window types make this building unique on

Capitol Hill -- all accomplished while drawing little attention to itself.

1.Window size and detail on the

top floor differ from those on the

lower floors.

2.Entry to parking is detailed to

match other subtractive forms,

making it one of a family of

elements and de-emphasizing itspresence.

1

2

3.There is an progression of

window types from those that

are set-back one brick course to

those being set back far enough

to accommodate a balcony.

3

4.The corner of the building is

subtly distinguished by flipping

the top floors window geometry,and breaking its alignment with

the windows below. An open

corner and the roof garden

complete the corners prominence

in the overall elevation

composition.

4

Oblique Elevation from 14th & Harrison


North Elevation DetailNorth Elevation Detail North Elevation Detail


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1. An exemplary, rational grid-iron facade design combined

with large windows asserts this

buildings modernist credentials

with bravado.

2. The strong, cruciform oor plan

distinguishes the Laurelton from

the predominantly rectangular

apartments on the Hill. An

interesting set of secondary

elevations result for the X plan

allows the building to have a

variety presentations to the

street.

5

5

5




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3. Deeply inset windows,

a recessed entry with

accompanying arch, and an

entrance loggia add scale and a

welcoming quality to what might

have otherwise been an austere

entrance.

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West Elevation

West Elevation Detail

Northwest Elevation

7 The Laurelton (1928)1820 16th Avenue, 16th @ DennyWith roots in early 20th modernism, this building reminds one the

pioneering works of Adolph Loos. Unlike the other housing in this survey,

this building has a somewhat complicate oor plan (in the form of an

elongated X) yet still retains an economy of expression, with stucco

being the only exterior material used, painted almost uniformatly white.

West Elevation

West Elevation DetailNorthwest Elevation


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1.The southern half of the east

elevation of the building is clad

in brick, with exposed concrete

columns and plate steel at

material transitions.

2. The northern half of the east

elevation is aluminum and glass,

with letters silk-screened onto the

upper portions of the windows.

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3.The columns are just behind the

masonry, and are richly textured.

They are framed on top and

bottom by the plate steel which

defines the limits of the masonry.4. The building mass appears to

float above its concrete base.

A steel channel supports the

masonry.

5.The shadows cast by the letters

of the buildings name are caston the concrete structure inside,

adding depth to the facade.

6. Similar in effect to 5 (above),

the shadow of the window

mullion casts a shadow on the

concrete column, which is now

within the building (see 3, above).

Oblique Elevation from 12th and Marion

East Elevation Detail



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4

6

5

7

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7.This side entrance is framed

by the same plate steel/brick

vocabulary noted above.

8. The steel channel (4, above)

continues on the elevation,

adding another level of continuity

to the building facades.

8 Seattle University Lee Center for the Arts (2005)901 12th Avenue, 12th Avenue @ Marion Street

Oblique Elevation from 12th and Marion

East Elevation Detail East Elevation Detail North Elevation Detail

A well executed renovation to an existing building that shows great

material and detail variety, despite its small size and limited palette. The

Lee Center shows how a juxtaposition of materials and the evolution of

a family of details add richness to a building, no matter how large (or

small). Many opportunities exist on Capitol Hill for the renovation andre-purposing of smaller buildings; we would be fortunate if they were

executed this well.


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311 - 321 East Pike Street (1916)311- 321 East Pike Street, Between Bellevue and Melrose9One of the finer mixed-use buildings on Capitol Hill, this East Pike Street

building sophisticatedly blends a traditional masonry expression with a

modernist desire for a building that lightly touches the ground. This brick

box on stilts provides maximum transparency at street level retail, and

material continuity with its upper levels.

North Elevation (Pine Street)

North Elevation Detail North Elevation (Pine Street)

1. A traditional punched opening

brick facade, its mass resting on

six, visually delicate columns.

2. The openness of the ground

floor contrasts with the upper

floors, creating a tectonic

juxtaposition that is expressive ofprogrammatic differences.

1

2North Elevation (Pine Street)

4. The upper floor windows

appear random and are out ofalignment with the columns

below, emphasizing the differing

expressions.

5. The rigor of the ground floor is

broken by the stepping down of

the transom windows and retail

entrances as both conform to the

slope of Pine Street.

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5

North Elevation (Pine Street)

3

3. The lower portion of the

storefront windows maximize the

glass area, while the transoms

above have a tighter, grided

mullion expression. This pattern is

replicated on the windows above.

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1.While similar in size, openings within each

building do not always align, leading to a

serendipity when viewed en mass.

2. Slight variations in building height,

combined with a variety of parapet

treatments, reinforce each buildings identity.

3. Contrasting colors and materials are crisp

and well delineated.

4. A key to the ensembles success is each

buildings generous and neatly aligned

ground oor height and the resulting strong

street presence.

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11th Avenue Viewed from Pine Street

11th Avenue Viewed from Pike Street

11th Avenue Streetscape (1912-1926)11th Avenue Between Pine and Pike10Otherwise anonymous and distinct buildings forming a tight ensemble

creating a rich and varied sidewalk experience. Although not built (nor

most likely designed) concurrently, these buildings share enough common

traits that enable them to unite in a cohesive manner.

11th Avenue Viewed from Pine Street

11th Avenue Viewed from Pike Street


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1.This well detailed curtain wall

encloses the public (lobby) spaceswithin the building, forming a

vertical counterpoint to the more

horizontal masses of 2 (below).

2. Two horizontally oriented volumes

dene an entry courtyard and give

the building a pedestrian scale

along the street.

3. This sidewalk elevation provides

maximum visibility not only into the

cafe it encloses, but also through

the building to the entry courtyard

beyond.

4. Similar to the Lee Center

(Example 8), this curtain wall

reveals interior building surfaces

that are just behind the glazing

(a technically challenging detail).

The closeness of these elements

results in greater depth ofthe overall facades, providing

shadow play and texture to

this large element while clearly

articulating the structure. Again,

the use of a highly transparent

glass allows views into the

building, allowing the activity

within to lend its energy to thestreet.

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3

4

East (Broadway) Elevation


North (Cherry Street) Elevation

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Swedish Orthopedic Physician Associates (2007)601 Broadway, Broadway at Cherry11An example of a well detailed institutional building of the type either

SCCC or Group Health (amongst others) may build on the Hill. An effective

juxtaposition of programmatic components and their respective scales

break down an otherwise large building into understandable parts. A

variety of skillfully detailed window types and present a fresh face to thispreviously large medical services campus.


East (Broadway) Elevation

North (Cherry Street) Elevation

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1. The structural frame is clearly

expressed and ordered, yet stillvaries depending on its location

relative to the corner. The huge

proportion of glass to brick makes

for an expressive and trasnparent

facade.

2.At the ground oor, the size of

the glass within the window islarge and unobstructed, providing

the maximum view into the retail.

3.White glazed bricks add

emphasis to the expression of the

buildings structural grid, while

bricks of a differing texture and

coursing add an extra level of

detail.

4. The corner window (a

typical approach) is made up

of individual, planar parts. The

subdivision of the window with

mullions, however, allows the

individual lites of glass to bettermimic a curve.

5. The entry bay is subdivided

into two parts: a (visually)

suspended transom that is

aligned with the corner windows

on the upper oors, and a void for

the entry doors.

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West (11th) Elevation Detail

Pike and 11th Elevation

Corner Elevation Detail

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12 1101 East Pike Street (1911)1101 East Pike Street, Pike @ 11thA building on a prominent corner building that gets it right. By simply

bending the typical, rational structural bay expression around the corner

(instead of celebrating the corner with special canopies, exuberant

forms or materials) the architects were content that the strength of the

curved geometry sufficed, and no further embellishment was needed tomark the adjacent intersection.

West (11th) Elevation Detail

Pike and 11th Elevation

Corner Elevation Detail

Th L lh

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