Photo of Trailside Student Housing at dusk.

Trailside Student Living

A student-targeted residential community near the University of Washington, Trailside Student Living is a two-phased community adjacent to the Burke Gilman Trail that will become a coveted new place for the modern student to call home.

Client Name

Phoenix Property Company

Location

Seattle, WA

Services

Architecture
Interior Design

Completion Date

Phase 1: Q3 2021
Phase 2: Q3 2023 Projected

project overview

Phase 1:
7 Stories
103,427 SF Site
101,235 GSF
305,000 SF Residential
2,681 SF Retail
265 Residential Units
210 Parking Stalls

Phase 2:
7 Stories
59,250 SF Site
271,501 GSF
263,557 SF Residential
3,944 SF Retail
170 Residential Units
8 Parking Stalls

awards

2023 Gold Nugget Awards
Grand Award Winner: Best Student or Faculty Housing

ENR Northwest Best Projects of 2022
Best Residential/Hospitality Project

Contacts

Amanda Keating
Principal in Charge

Bernadette Kelly
Interior Design Principal

Services

Weber Thompson provided architecture and interior design services for the student-targeted Trailside Student Living Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects.

Photo of the interior lobby with a statement piece chandelier at Trailside Student Housing

Photo of an amenity space at Trailside Student Housing

Photo of the interior of Trailside Student Housing

Images: built work photography, interior photography by cindy apple

Trailside Student Living Architecture

The design of Trailside Student Living is all about creating exceptional outdoor spaces that celebrate the project’s proximity to the Burke Gilman Trail. The design ‘frames’ or ‘bookends’ these outdoor spaces with distinctive lantern elements in a sophisticated and modern way.

Connections to the outdoors

The large site for this student-targeted development presented many opportunities and constraints. While its entire west edge is directly adjacent to the Burke Gilman Trail, it lacks arterial street frontage. The goal was to create two front doors to the project: one along the trail and one along 24th Street, all while allowing for public access to the trail and maximizing outdoor space at the ground plane.

Transparency of form

One of the primary design challenges was to break the building massing into smaller, distinct buildings to introduce more openness into and through the site. The result is a collection of outdoor spaces framed by smaller buildings that provide students with a variety of experiences while feeling connected to both the Burke Gilman Trail and surrounding neighborhood amenities.

Banner image of a photo of the interior design at Trailside Student Housing

Trailside Student Living Interior Design

Playing off of the building’s location in the University District next to the Burke Gilman Trail, three distinct ground level amenity spaces are designed to conceptually transition from a rugged, outdoorsy palette toward a more sleek modern palette representative of urban city life. This project proves that student housing does not need to be garish and childlike.

Refined student living

A dramatic double-height entry lobby features a modern statement chandelier that reinforces the architectural lantern concept.

Adaptable study spaces

A plethora of common area spaces are designed to be adaptable community and study spaces. The roof level clubhouse opens up to an expansive roof deck and features two media spaces, a built in banquette, game tables, and a shared kitchen.