Backing a six story building up to a neighborhood that consists mostly of two and three story single and multifamily homes while the front of the building is on a major arterial takes a light touch. For Soren, the clean, Scandinavian-influenced design responds to four different interactions with the community while maintaining its overall cohesion.
Along the street frontage, tall commercial glass walls recede two feet from the property line creating transparency of the retail space and an enlivened commercial sidewalk. This glass wall wraps around the eased corners of the building as the retail use transitions to the residential neighborhood. On the north side, at-grade live/work stoops interact with the public sidewalk, responding to the six story residential building across the street and creating a smooth transition to the west side’s purely residential uses.
Facing the low rise buildings behind, Ballard West steps back with grade related units, private outdoor living spaces, and careful landscaping with flowering trees to demarcate the property line. Two story bays, layering and carving away the building mass along the façade are scaled to respect the adjacent buildings without overpowering them.
Targeting LEED Gold for Homes Multifamily Midrise, the building features a number of sustainable strategies including an innovative heat recovery system that supplements the domestic hot water heating. On top of the building, a green roof of sedums and ground covers surrounds a landscaped deck for the residents and reduces the heat island effect of the building’s roof.