OPA Design and Architecture, Inc. Letitia Hillside Houses
Description
These two spec houses were designed to be affordable (low 300's) starter homes for the Seattle housing market. The pair were built on adjoining lots on a steep slope in an environmental critical area (ECA), so the site had greater development restrictions and permitting requirements than a typical project. The design solution had to be innovative to address the site and budget restrictions without compromising the quality of the architecture.rnrnConstruction was prohibited in the sloped area of the site leaving very little buildable area on an already small site. An auger cast pile foundation was used and eliminated the need for the buffer zone otherwise required when using a traditional foundation system. The piles allowed for a maximum buildable footprint of 20'x30' per site, but created a challenge in making the houses affordable.
Details
Seattle, WA
Architect
Description
These two spec houses were designed to be affordable (low 300's) starter homes for the Seattle housing market. The pair were built on adjoining lots on a steep slope in an environmental critical area (ECA), so the site had greater development restrictions and permitting requirements than a typical project. The design solution had to be innovative to address the site and budget restrictions without compromising the quality of the architecture.rnrnConstruction was prohibited in the sloped area of the site leaving very little buildable area on an already small site. An auger cast pile foundation was used and eliminated the need for the buffer zone otherwise required when using a traditional foundation system. The piles allowed for a maximum buildable footprint of 20'x30' per site, but created a challenge in making the houses affordable.
Details
Seattle, WA
