New Holly Phase 1
New Holly Phase 1
Seattle, WA
The Seattle Housing Authority recognized that revitalizing Holly Park was a tall order. Originally designed to house workers during WWII, the community was less than safe and was underperforming on several levels. The plan was to design an affordable, stable, mixed-income community that stimulated local economic opportunities and enhanced social services.
Weinstein A+U was tasked with developing a master plan and the design of housing. The master plan replaced the existing curvilinear street system with a traditional street grid. This served to reconnect the community to adjacent neighborhoods and saved the site’s mature trees. Misalignments between adjacent streets and the new grid created opportunities for neighborhood gardens, playgrounds, and open spaces.
The political ambition that publicly subsidized housing should be indistinguishable from market-rate housing led the design strategy: all housing types would be predicated on a standardized unit configuration that could be developed as single family houses, combined as two-family duplexes, or 4-family townhouses. A kit-of-parts approach to interchangeable roof forms, porches, and exterior trim yielded 37 distinct exteriors from this common design strategy.
Recognized nationally with numerous awards and publication, NewHolly Phase I was instrumental in the award of additional HUD grants to the Seattle Housing Authority for the redevelopment of High Point and Rainier Vista communities.
Recognition
AIA Northwest & Pacific Region Awards, Commendation, 2005
Boston Society of Architects, John Clancy Honor Award, 2005
Congress for New Urbanism Charter Honor Award, 2002
Congress for New Urbanism’s New Face of America’s Public Housing Award, 2002
WA State Chapter Gold Award, America Council of Engineering Companies, 2001
AIA Seattle Honor Awards for Washington Architecture, Commendation, 2001
AIA Washington Civic Design Awards, Merit Award, 1999
Featured in the book “From Despair to HOPE: Hope VI and the New Promise of Public Housing in America’s Cities”, by Henry G. Cisneros and Lora Engdahl, Brookings Institution Press, 2009
Photography: Michael Shopenn
Client
Seattle Housing Authority
Data
40 acre redevelopment
453 residential units
Community facilities
Completed
2001
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