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Alley24 |
 Three industrial brick buildings, including the former New Richmond Laundry, dating back to 1923-1945 enrich the character and texture of the Alley24 complex. |
To encourage a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere and meet the needs of the area’s growing number of residents and office workers, 28,000 square feet of retail is incorporated into Alley24’s streetscape. These new offerings add to the community’s market appeal and viability, enlivening an area which once had limited shopping and dining opportunities.
 NBBJ, a global architecture firm based in Seattle, designed Alley24 and occupies three of the six office floors. Exterior sunshades and reflector blinds in the windows are automatically programmed to track the sun so the building’s appearance changes with the time of day. |
Vulcan operates under a “Triple Bottom Line” approach that guides its development philosophy. This approach evaluates potential real estate projects and measures success according to three criteria: environmental, community and financial accountability. To that end, Vulcan set out to accomplish three goals. First, build consensus among neighboring stakeholders and other interested parties for the vision of the redevelopment. Second, design one of Seattle’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified mixed-use projects. And third, attract high-quality commercial tenants to lease space prior to construction -- in a pioneering area when competing space was being offered at lower rates.
Collaborative Design with Community Partners
To build consensus and garner constructive feedback for Alley24, Vulcan, along with its financial partner PEMCO Insurance and the project’s architectural firm NBBJ, met with the Cascade Neighborhood Council – a neighborhood advocacy group – during the initial concept and schematic design phases. Two design process sessions with area residents and business owners were also conducted to generate ideas for features that would add value to the neighborhood.
In addition to neighborhood advocates, city preservationists also had a stake in the plans for Alley24. Located on the former site of the Richmond Laundry Building, the original building was built in 1917 during Seattle’s steam laundry boom. Over the years, it had undergone a number of renovations that had greatly altered the building’s original design.
In 2003, the city’s Landmark Preservation Board designated the roof, the exterior and the site as historic landmarks. Vulcan initiated a collaborative dialogue with the Board to discuss effective ways to integrate new and existing structures that would best meet the needs of Alley24’s tenants, residents and the surrounding community. One major outcome of this discussion was to build one garage under the commercial side of the block to enable preservation of the designated features of the old laundry building on the residential side. NBBJ incorporated historical elements such as the original brick façade into the design of the residential building. In addition, recycled wood from the building was used in many of the residences, and some of the apartment homes feature the original exposed brick walls.
 Alley24 occupies an entire city block in Seattle, featuring a diverse mix of high-performance offices, apartments and retail. Alley24 East is the 207,000-square-foot commercial portion while Alley24 West contains 172 apartments. |
Residents and businesses within the neighborhood were also interested in providing gathering spaces to allow for casual social interaction and provide a more aesthetically appealing streetscape. To that end, NBBJ designed an open, European-inspired pedestrian-friendly north/south alleyway that is bisected by an east/west walkway through the center of the project and served as the genesis of its name. The alleyway and walkway create an open “through-block” connection that helps to activate the interior streetscape and enhance the level of 24-7 activity in the area.
The alleyway and through-block feature overhead lighting, access to shops, residences and offices and are enriched with historic brick facades, canopies and street-level entrances. Visually compelling art pieces were also commissioned for the walk-through, including an 18-foot tall light beacon named “Baladeuse.” Designed by Portland artist James Harrison, the beacon of laminated art-glass is set over a stainless steel armature that is internally lit. During the day, the sculpture reflects light and at night it glows from within, revealing a mosaic pattern.
The end result of the process and design is an appealing contrast of vintage and contemporary that addresses the desires and concerns of those who have a stake in honoring the project’s past, present and future.
Elements of Sustainability
Preserving the brick façade, using recycled materials, and providing gathering spaces are all part of Vulcan’s desire to build “green” as well. In keeping with a corporate philosophy that places environmental responsibility at its very core, Vulcan set out to build one of Seattle’s first LEED-certified mixed-use projects.
Alley24 East diverted 80 percent of demolition and construction materials that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. Wherever possible, materials that were removed – such as old timber – were salvaged and reused elsewhere on the site. Concrete made from fly-ash was used as the primary office building material and Richlite, a local product made of paper and resin that is derived from sustainable sources, was used extensively for the exterior of the residential portion.
An innovative hybrid HVAC system is also incorporated inside the office spaces, making Alley24 the first Class A office building in Seattle to offer tenants a choice of natural ventilation, energy efficient air conditioning or both. This type of flexibility to control personal climate improves employee comfort, boosting productivity and reducing energy costs by as much as 15 to 20 percent.
The use of air conditioning – traditionally the biggest consumer of energy in an office building – is often unnecessary because of access to fresh air through operable windows. When air conditioning is required, an innovative underfloor air delivery system provides greater comfort and cleaner air to office occupants.
Exterior sunshades and automatic reflector blinds also help moderate the building’s temperature for greater year-round comfort and productivity. Alley24 East is the first project in North America that incorporated these automatic reflector blinds, which keep the sun’s heat load out of the building when the temperature rises, and open when the temperature drops.
Alley24 East incorporates picturesque green space as part of its design as well, with a 700-square-foot rooftop deck which includes a fully landscaped garden and views that enhance the overall tenant experience. The landscaping provides greater energy efficiency by insulating the building and serves to reduce storm water run-off.
Other sustainable features of the office space include the use of water-based and low VOC paints, glues and sealers. These features provide healthier indoor air quality and taller windows, combined with ceiling heights of 10-1/2 feet, allow for increased natural daylight. In addition, metering of individual tenant electricity use provides more direct control over energy consumption, thereby reducing use of this valuable natural resource.
Because the design team created open workspaces with limited walls by installing electrical, heating and air conditioning systems under the floors, new tenants can customize their spaces much easier, adding to the building’s appeal. And the sustainable features are more attractive to “creative class” workers who are drawn to the environmental friendliness of its design.
 A 700-square-foot rooftop deck includes a fully landscaped garden and views that enhance the overall tenant experience. The landscaping provides greater energy efficiency by insulating the building and reducing storm water run-off. |
Alley24 East was completed in February 2006 welcoming nearly 1,000 new employees into the neighborhood. The building serves as the world headquarters for NBBJ which occupies the first three floors, more than 77,000 square feet. Skanska, the general contractor, occupies 25,000 square feet of office space on the fourth floor. An estimated 400 employees from WPP companies including Cole & Weber/Red Cell, Rocky/Hill & Knowlton and J. Walter Thompson occupy 53,000 square feet on the fifth and sixth floors. To date, the office portion of Alley24 is over 90 percent leased.
The first of Alley24’s street-level boutiques, restaurants and cafes opened shortly after the office space was completed. In keeping with the pioneering community’s desire to feature more authentic, locally-owned shops and bistros, the neighborhood has been enlivened by such diverse businesses as Urban Beast (a pet boutique), Spa Blix, Espresso Vivace, Tottini (a children’s furnishings and apparel shop), Mad Pizza, Southlake Grill, Snowboard Connection, Velocity (clothing boutique) and Cajetan Bakery & Deli. Approximately 90 percent of the 28,000 square feet of retail space at Alley24 has been leased to date.
New residents began moving into Alley24 West in December 2006, with nearly 95 percent of the apartment units occupied as of May 2007. As part of Vulcan’s commitment to offering a diversity of housing options suited to a range of income levels, Alley24 is also participating in the City of Seattle’s Multi-family Tax Exemption program. Twenty percent of the project’s apartment units are available for individuals and families earning at or below 60 percent of median income. By Ada M. Healey, vice president of real estate, Vulcan Inc.
For more information
www.vulcanrealestate.com
www.alley24.com
By Ada M. Healey, vice president of real estate, Vulcan Inc.