March 23, 2017

NK says Pax Futura will be Seattle's first Passive House apartment units

Rendering from NK Architects [enlarge]

The units in Columbia City will use 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling.

NK Architects said it is designing what will be Seattle's first apartments built to meet Passive House standards at 3700 S. Hudson St. in the Columbia City neighborhood.

Cascade Built is the developer and general contractor for the four-story building, which is called Pax Futura.

Construction is slated to start this spring and be complete in early 2018.

The project will have 32 studio and one-bedroom units, along with three live/work units. There will also be 1,050 square feet of retail space, and a shared courtyard, but no parking.

In a press release, NK Architects said the units will have continuous, filtered fresh air that will be healthier and more comfortable for residents, and dramatically reduce energy use. The units are expected to use 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling.

NK's other Passive House projects in Seattle include Uptown Passive House Apartments at 320 Queen Anne Ave. N., and 11th and Republican at 505 11th Ave. E. on Capitol Hill.

Uptown Passive will have 56 studio, one- and two-bedroom units, as well as three live/work units. It is being developed by the Matni family.

11th and Republican is a 20-unit Passive House retrofit and new multifamily building with a rooftop solar array that connects a historic house with a new building. It is being developed by nic|chick, a company operated by husband and wife Brandon Nicholson and Shanna Kovalchick. They founded NK Architects.

Construction on both of those projects is expected to start in early 2018 and be complete a year later. A general contractor has not been selected.

NK Architects has offices in Seattle and Pittsburgh.