Beam, a mixed-use transit-oriented development in Seattle's International District, has officially opened. Intended to be a catalyst for increasing housing options in Seattle’s “Little Saigon” neighborhood, this 321-unit seven-story development is the area’s first market-rate project and a precedent for future development. Developed by Intracorp and designed by Tiscareno Associates, everything about Beam is highly responsive to the community’s input and long-term aspirations to create a thriving, mixed-use community.
Market Passageway
Beam is sited mid-block and fronts busy Jackson Street at the north and quieter King Street at the south. Jackson has a streetcar line and active sidewalk that is home to lively restaurants and retail storefronts. King Street is a pedestrian-priority, Seattle-designated “green street” and became Beam’s primary point of residential access.
Linking these two streets is the unique through-block retail passageway featuring 10,000 square feet of retail space. Creating its own micro-neighborhood, this pedestrian corridor has seating areas, room for kiosks, and plenty of spaces sized for the kind of small entrepreneurial shops that are the hallmark of the Vietnamese retail experience. All this added space for permanent retailers reinforces the neighborhood’s existing retail patterns and community connections.
Amenities
Beam features a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom floor plans and brings many modern lifestyle and community amenities that have not been offered in this neighborhood before. These include street-level residential units, a two-story lobby, a game loft, a fitness center, a residential courtyard, and bicycle storage. Residents can also convene and relax in a 7th floor sky lounge with community spaces offering expansive city views.
All amenities are high quality, such as lobby stairs that are something you’d see in a boutique hotel and the precise fit and finish of wood, steel, and other materials throughout the units and interior décor.
Community Input
A testament to Beam’s success is the community’s delight with how well it fits into this unique neighborhood. This kind of acceptance was in no small part due to the owner’s early commitment to developing strong working relationships with the community by engaging them throughout the process.
Thanks to the team’s clear communication of design and feedback loops, the community had a voice in everything from the project’s materiality, market passage gates, sidewalk patterning, public art and amenities to its Asian-inspired, micro-retail throughway.
Contact Bill Barton billb@tiscareno.net if you’re interested in scheduling a tour of the Beam with us. You can also read more about the project here.
Комментарии