The War Against Micro-housing is Over. Micro-housing Lost.

Our practice is deeply involved in micro-housing – as architects, as developers, and as proponents in the public policy sphere. Getting these projects done has become an ever-increasing uphill battle.  Taking stock and looking back over that last couple years, I think I’m ready to call it:  The war against micro-housing is over…and micro-housing has lost.

The straw that broke the camel’s back is a recent SDCI director’s rule that places new restrictions on Small Efficiency Dwelling Units (SEDU’s) to the extent that that they will no longer be meaningfully smaller than a typical studio apartment. It is a significant setback for micro-housing and the ability of private market development to help with housing affordability.  But it is only the latest in a series of unforced errors that has taken Seattle from being a national leader on this issue to leaving the stage altogether.

As a firm we have worked to create plentiful, high quality, small-unit housing, designed to support livability and promote community among residents.  We have worked to get the Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) program aligned with micro-housing development to increase the supply of affordable rent-stabilized units.  We have worked with policymakers and legislators to avoid unintended consequences when crafting policy language and code interpretations.  We worked with the HALA committee to get micro-housing promotion into the HALA agenda. Along the way we have won some kudos for our design work and for our advocacy efforts, but frankly little else.  We have had some success getting policy makers to agree with us in principle, but where the rubber meets the road we are not seeing any actual progress on the ground.  To the contrary, the policy direction is still moving backward.

How did we kill Microhousing?

There’s no one single moment where we drove the bus off the cliff.  Rather, it’s been a process of accumulated bad decisions. To help illustrate, I went back in my files and pulled together the following timeline summary of the past few years:

2007-2009:  Microhousing first appears in the Seattle Market. In 2007 Calhoun Properties remodels an existing duplex to create small units with private bathrooms paired with shared kitchens and open space. In 2009, they apply this idea to two new townhouse developments in the UW and Central District. Average unit size is about 140sf.

July 2009: Seattle Times publishes an article about Videre Apartments (23^rd & John).  Public awareness and outrage grows.

2010-2013:  Microhousing proliferates and evolves.  Average unit size increases to about 175sf. Production ramps up to over 1000 units per year.

2013:  New Microhousing legislation is proposed, requiring all projects to undergo design review and to include more amenities such as common areas and bike parking.

2014: Revised Microhousing legislation proposes more expansive changes, prohibits congregate housing development in low-rise and most neighborhood commercial zones, replaces congregate housing with SEDU’s having a minimum average size of 220sf.

August 2014:  King County Superior Court rules that all current pod-style microhousing projects must go through the design review process.  Most existing projects switch over from pod-style to SEDU’s.

October 2014:  Microhousing legislation passes with some additional (hostile) amendments. Congregate housing is virtually banned, and subsequently disappears from the development pipeline. SEDU’s are encouraged as replacement for congregate housing.  A minimum unit size of 220 sf is required, but the minimum size is hard to achieve due to other restrictions. A 250-270 sf average unit size becomes a more typical outcome once all regulations are met.

December 2014:  A hearing examiner appeal invalidates the working definition of frequent transit, because SDCI determines frequent transit based on “average” time between transit stops, but the land use code definition does not contain the word “average”. Small unit development is no longer possible in portions of several Urban Villages.  Despite the fact that the issue was flagged by the HALA committee, and that the issue could be resolved by a one word addition to the land use code, no legislative fix has been brought forward to date.

February 2015:  The city council passes new rules that exclude congregate housing from participation in the MFTE program and sets a price for SEDU units that makes SEDU participation improbable. Since this time, only one SEDU project has applied for MFTE.

July 2015:  The HALA report is published.  HALA acknowledges the de-facto ban on congregate micro-housing, recommends relaxing recently created restrictions to increase the supply. This recommendation is not included in the city council HALA work plan.

August 2015:  SDCI enacts a new internal interpretation for the minimum clear floor space in a dwelling unit (the 70-7 rule).  The smallest (least expensive) unit sizes in all of our congregate housing projects are no longer legal. To date the 70-7 rule remains unpublished in any public document.  Applicants can only discover the issue only through a correction notice during permit review.

February 2016: Neiman Taber submits a CCAB appeal of the 70-7 rule for congregate residences, arguing it is inconsistent with the published code interpretation manual, past practices, historical models of small unit housing, and counterproductive to the very habitability and livability concerns that it aims to support.  The CCAB ruling upholds the 70-7 rule but acknowledges that we have a point.  The CCAB asks SDCI to develop a code change to accommodate the design of small congregate units.  SDCI has taken no action to date.

June 2016:  New SEDU rules are enacted apply the 70-7 rule to the entire living area of the unit. Many unit designs in the 250-280sf range will no longer meet SEDU requirements.  Note: 300sf is the bottom end of the range for a small regular studio apartment.

What now?

With the advent of the new SEDU rules, all of our projects with SEDU units will be going back to the drawing board for a re-design to enlarge the units.  An example of this change is shown below, where a project loses two units per floor under the new SEDU rules. In a nutshell, the unit count drops by about 10%, and the average unit size goes up about 10%, with rents rising accordingly.

BEFORE - Floorplan Layout Using Old SEDU Rules

AFTER - Floorplan Layout Using New SEDU Rules

Congregate housing production, which peaked at over 1000 units per year, has been reduced to a trickle.  Going forward, the SEDU development that largely took its place will be virtually indistinguishable in density and unit size from conventional studio apartments.  Barring any future changes, microhousing in Seattle is essentially done. There will be a few projects around the margins (mostly ours) that will continue to keep the format alive in the technical sense.  But in terms of providing an affordable alternative to conventional development at a production scale where it can make a meaningful difference?  Nope.  Game over.

How can we fix the situation?

Policymakers need to hear from citizens that care about these issues.  Here’s what you can do:

·         Ask the city council to fix the frequent transit definition in this year’s omnibus code cleanup. This is the lowest of the low-hanging fruit of the HALA agenda.  This problem has inhibited small unit development in a number of neighborhoods for almost two years, with no end in sight. Contact CM Rob Johnson.

·         Ask SDCI to revoke the new director’s rule for SEDU’s.  Size requirements beyond the building code minimums should not be superimposed on a housing type that exists for the sole purpose of being a smaller and more affordable option. Contact SDCI Director Nathan Torgelson.

·         The Office of Housing needs to revise the rules for SEDU participation in MFTE.   The rates for SEDUs should be evaluated using the same criteria as all other types - that participation is about 50%.  It is currently at about 4% (one participant for 25 active projects). Contact CM Tim Burgess and OH Director Steve Walker.

·         Ask SDCI to follow through on the CCAB request to develop building code language that will support small affordable congregate microhousing. Contact SDCI Director Nathan Torgelson.

·         Put re-legalizing congregate microhousing on the council agenda. In the meantime, request that the city sell their listed surplus properties in NC3 zoning to be developed as microhousing to make up for the suppression of market production. Contact CM Rob Johnson and CM Tim Burgess.

·         Ask the city to create an executive branch staff position for a HALA cop – someone whose portfolio is dedicated to challenging city staff and agencies when their actions are inconsistent with the intent of HALA. Contact Mayor Ed Murray.

New Project - Lake Washington Waterfront Homes

View of new homes from dock

After 3 years of review cycles and project setbacks, work has finally begun at 10202 Rainier Avenue South. Four dilapidated cottages have recently been removed and excavation for the new homes is currently underway.

Expansive views across Lake Washington inspired the orientation, site layout and window placement for all three new homes which gently march up the steep sloping property.  Each home includes a 2 car garage, large recreation room with an outdoor shower and additional space to for water gear and boat storage.  The Kitchen/Living/Dining levels feature an open floor plan, wet bar and fireplace, and a home-office niche off the kitchen.  Large sliding doors open onto decks with deep overhangs, strategically positioned to allow for year-round enjoyment of the stunning natural setting.  

Original 1930's cabin and dock

Original upland cottages 1930's - 1960's

Landscaped  entryway between houses

House 1, waterside, is 3,255 SF with a 500 SF garage.  The upper level contains the master suite with a wrap-around, covered balcony, 3 additional bedrooms with 2 bathrooms and a laundry room.  House 2 and 3 are identical in size and layout and are 2,385 SF with a 550 SF garage.  The bedrooms, located at the mid level to allow the kitchen/living/dining to take advantage of the expansive water views above, contains the master suite with a wrap-around, covered balcony, two additional bedrooms with a shared bathroom and a laundry room.       

Access along east side-yards to shared waterfront and dock

An easement has been created along the eastern side-yards for direct access to the shared waterfront and dock.  A portion of the original dock will be removed along the waters edge to reclaim the natural shoreline for native habitats and a new natural beach will be created for recreation and boat storage.  A bio-retention planter for storm-water mitigation will provide separation between the private rear yard of the waterside home. and shared beach

View of proposed waterfront house from beach

View from dock after cottage demolition

View towards Mercer Island , Seward Park and beyond 

Projected completion slated for spring 2017.  Stay tuned for construction progress postings!

Beautiful Density: Housing Design for a More Liveable City

Seattle was built out as a city of single family homes, but that model has run its course. Most of our new inventory is coming in a denser form – rowhouses and townhouses. As a city we have resisted these changes socially and politically, at great volume. Why are we so unhappy with these new housing forms? To borrow a phrase…It’s the car stupid! To be more precise, it’s the negative effect parking has on the design and configuration of our housing, creating homes that are less livable and less beautiful.

So, how can we build a denser city as appealing as the single family fabric that came before it, while managing all the cars?  Read my new article at Crosscut to find out!

Marion Green Presentation at NW Eco-Building Guild's 2015 Green Building Slam

We were honored to be included in the NW Eco-Building Guild's 2015 Green Building Slam.  The event featured ten projects; each presenter got ten slides and ten minutes.  It was a great opportunity to show off Marion Green to a large audience of our fellow architects, builders, developers, and green building enthusiasts. Click here to see a video of the presentation

The project was really well received.  It is my hope that events like this (and my relentless self-promotion!) will help spread the word about this important new housing type and help speed its adoption in the marketplace. We are working on an article for the Eco-Building Guild's Code Innovation Database that will document they ways we navigated this project through the land-use and zoning code so that others can more easily follow.

Speaking of which, our next courtyard project, Olympic View, is speeding its way toward completion.  Check it out here.

Re-Inventing Micro Housing - A Shift Toward Community Design.

When we started work on the Yobi Apartments in 2012, our goal was to re-invent the micro-housing model.  Our vision was inexpensive private rooms paired with common amenities, arranged so as to help build community among the residents that shared the building.  We wanted to prototype a better model with the hope of influencing others to follow.

Yobi was completed a few months ago and received much attention and positive feedback.  Since that time, there hasn’t been a whole lot of new congregate housing development (due to 2014 zoning changes that have suppressed it).  Last week I noticed a new project from Calhoun Properties working its way through the permitting process.  It's the first congregate project (from outside of our office) that I've seen since the 2014 code change, so I was eager to find out what they had planned. When I found their plans online, I was pleasantly surprised.

Calhoun’s new project has many features and communal amenities that are organized similar to the Yobi.  The building has one main entry, organized just like a typical apartment building.  The main floor has a generous shared common kitchen with an adjoining dining area, lounge, laundry room, and south facing patio. Each upper floor has a shared double kitchen, dining room, and view deck.  Their new project bears no trace of the old pod model.

Calhoun is not just any micro-housing developer. They more or less invented pod style micro-housing, developing 17 pod style projects over the last few years. A successful business often has low motivation to mess with their development model; Calhoun deserves a lot of credit for their willingness to do so. This shift to provide more communal space bodes well for future projects and validates our contention that there was a better way to design this housing type.

Score a huge victory for the cause of re-inventing micro-housing. Now we just need to re-legalize it.

UPDATE: The original version of this post took for granted that Calhoun Properties new project was inspired by ideas developed at the Yobi.  They contacted me to let me know that, while they read this article with interest, they were not aware of the Yobi and so it did not influence this project; the resemblance is a case of co-evolution rather than a progression. The post has been changed accordingly.

Main Floor - 5611 17th Ave NW - Calhoun Properties, Ecco Architects

Main Floor - Yobi Apartments 1219 E Marion St - Neiman Taber Architects

Tiny Houses vs Permanent Housing

Tiny Houses and Tent Cities are in the news this week.  Councilmember Sally Bagshaw has called for a massive expansion of temporary encampments throughout the city.  Meanwhile, a consultant hired by the Mayor has declared this strategy a distraction, one that dissipates our energies and drains resources from the task of building permanent housing facilities that can support a Housing First approach.

Last month our office entered a tiny house design competition in Chicago.  The competition brief called for a 10-12 tiny house village for homeless youth, built on a large city owned lot, with a budget of $60,000 per unit.  Our entry was a  micro-housing apartment, delivering 3x the amount of housing on less land at the same cost per unit.  You don’t win many design competitions by disputing the premise. We entered it to make the point that cities have huge housing needs and very expensive land; that they need housing solutions that can scale to the size of the problem and make the most effective use of scare resources.  Donated land, non-profit services, volunteer hours…these are all finite assets.  We do ourselves no favor when we fail to use them efficiently.

A tiny house village can provide temporary shelter as a hardened, secure alternative to a tent, but that is about as far as it goes.  Beyond that we need permanent housing.  One of the reasons our firm has jumped in with both feet into microhousing is that we see it can serve a huge range of housing needs at the affordable end of the housing spectrum.  Seattle used to have thousands of units of SRO housing that served the affordable end of the housing market.  In the 1970’s we shut most of these down out of safety concerns, but we have replaced them with nothing. It’s about time for us to get started.

Housing Affordability, Supply, and Quality. Is Seattle's Lowrise Code Helping or Hurting?

 

Anyone who has ever been trapped in a corner with me at a cocktail party can tell you that I spent a good deal of time helping to shape the 2011 update to the lowrise zoning code.  The new code has radically changed the work of our office for the better.  We have been able to design projects with higher design quality, more density, better affordability, in a wide variety of formats that serve niches ranging from micro-housing apartments to high-end ownership townhomes.

That said, one of the goals of our office is to innovate new ideas that are replicable. We don't just want to design pretty unicorns - we are trying to develop archetypes that other architects, builders and developers see as useful models for their own work. I sat down a few weeks ago to write an article about our Marion Green project and the other Terrace Courtyard projects we have designed with the goal of promoting the idea to others.  I showed the article to my friend Alan Durning over at Sightline.  He expressed some interest but was more curious to learn about the townhouse market as a whole, and how our work compared to the other kinds of housing being produced.

This led me to do a deep dive into the city records, looking at the last 5 years of building permits since the new code went into effect.  After a great deal of sorting, filtering, and brute force downloading, I compiled data that shows the amount and type of housing we are producing in our lowrise zones.  I was surprised to discover how much we are distorting the type, quality, and density of our ownership housing via our regulatory rules. 

Thanks to Dan Bertolet from Sightline who took my ramblings and turned them into cogent reporting, no small feat when trying to make land use policy into something readable. You can see the whole article over at the Sightline blog:

http://www.sightline.org/2016/02/24/a-good-way-to-make-housing-scarcer-and-more-expensive/

HALA MF8: Remove Recently Created Barriers to the Creation of Congregate Microhousing.

Ethan Phelps Goodman wrote a piece over at the Urbanist this week confirming the trend on microhousing that I wrote about last year:  Since passage of restrictive new legislation in late 2014, development of small housing units has continued, but production has shifted over from congregate housing into a Small Efficiency Dwelling Unit (SEDU) format that produces larger units with correspondingly higher rents.

The HALA committee saw the preliminary data on this trend and responded by including a goal in the report for the city council to revisit the new zoning rules that have radically reduced the production of congregate housing.

Congregate housing development is widely recognized as the least expensive form of housing that the market can produce. Rents typically range from $700 to $1000.  For projects that participate in the MFTE program, 25% of the units are locked in at $628 rent, including utilities. As a point of reference, $720/month* is affordable rent for someone making $15/hr minimum wage.

Before the 2014 rules curtailed the production of congregate housing, Seattle was producing over 1000 units per year, all of it affordable at 40%-65% AMI. Since the new rules came into effect, production has slowed to a trickle. Neiman Taber currently has four congregate housing projects in the building permit review process, which represents the entire current production for the whole city.

Seattle is embarking on a major initiative to try to enact a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) program and the city-wide upzones that go along with it. This process will entail years of public hearings along with the customary resistance and rending of garments from neighborhood and homeowner groups. Politically, it is a huge lift, one of the more ambitious changes that the city has ever contemplated.

If we manage to pass the MIH program into law, it aims to produce 600 units per year of 60% AMI housing. By contrast, congregate micro-housing could produce almost twice that number of units, at deeper levels of affordability, with no public subsidy whatsoever, and all we need to do to achieve it is to remove the handcuffs.

* The definition of affordable is when housing cost is less than 30% of household income. $15 per hour x 1920 hours per year x 30% ÷12 months = $720/month.

The Villa Apartments

Entry (right) off 10th Avenue East

This charming 2 story mid-century modern apartment building is nestled into a narrow Capitol Hill site, just blocks away from Volunteer Park.  With the building virtually untouched since completion in 1953, each of the original four units are to receive new finishes, cabinetry and appliances, added powder rooms and laundry closets, new lighting and increased basement storage.  Exterior upgrades include the repair of the original siding, the addition of private landscaped terraces, added bike storage and a more efficient waste storage system.

Unit entries within landscaped side yard

Existing/Original kitchen

The 3rd floor addition had to not only compliment the form and style of the original building, but required construction of a separate stair tower.  The two large new units (800 sf and 840sf) will feature two bedroom and two bathrooms, as well as private laundry. The open plan of the kitchen/living/dining spaces features vaulted ceilings opening onto private roof decks, taking advantage of the natural light and views. 

3rd Story Addition and stair tower

Longitudinal Section 

To achieve the maximum allowable floor plate, portions of the addition were strategically cantilevered over the existing second floor, further increasing the design challenge.  Large, smooth, flat panels were selected to clad the addition, juxtaposing the fine textures of original siding materials. 

New stair tower from existing basement to 3rd floor addition

Cantilever at back unit

View from across 10th Avenue East

Scheduled for completion in May 2016 

Olympic View Townhomes - Courtyard Meets Panorama

Marion Green, our previous courtyard townhouse project with Paar Development, won a PSRC Vision 2040 award and was featured in the 2015 Green Building Slam. Our next project, Olympic View Townhouses, takes one more step forward, refining the courtyard townhouse concept and adapting the idea to a stunning hillside view lot on the south slope of Queen Anne Hill.

Olympic View features twelve (12) new townhouses, ranging in size from 800 sf one bedroom units to 2100 sf three bedroom units.  The shared central courtyard is the most spacious that we have ever designed and covers a parking level that accommodates 14 cars.  What makes Olympic View unique among our projects is the way we have adapted the courtyard townhouse concept to a sloping site, stepping the project down the hillside.  The terraced cross section allows each unit to see over the top of unit below, providing panoramic views of the Space Needle, downtown, and Puget Sound from the upper living levels and the rooftop decks

Like its predecessors at Marion Green and Beacon Green, the common courtyard creates an elegant way in and out of the homes, hides the parking area, provides generous open spaces and establishes a setting where neighbors have the regular contact with one another that helps to build familiarity and community.

The project will be built in two sections of six units each, with a common pedestrian entry walkway connecting the two halves.  The project will be certified 4 star built-green construction, which requires improved energy efficiency, low voc interior finish materials, green stormwater management, low water use, and a host of other sustainable features.

See Olympic View Project Site at: http://olympicviewtownhomes.com/