Divided by a commuter-heavy highway, Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood has struggled to maintain its mom-and-pop retail core and a sense of its own identity. The two-phase Rekhi project brings pedestrians back to the neighborhood and infuses the commercial core with new life. Broad canopies and glassy storefronts encourage strolling and window-shopping. Above the retail base, Phase 1 included 10,000 sf of office space with 39 apartments above. Phase 2 brought the total apartment count to 74. In addition to street side views, all apartments also overlook a quieter off-street courtyard, providing relief from bustling Lake City Way.
The two phases were designed to share parking, elevator, lobby, stairs and services. The distinctly different character of the individual phases re-enforces the historic building pattern, yet retains the efficiencies of scale by integrating the two phases into one structure.
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“It’s amazing what one building can do.”
Comment of the Rekhi project in Lake City, documented in a visual preference survey conducted by the City of Seattle, Strategic Planning Office