December 1, 2015

Bridges@11th designed to make residents and environment healthier

Photos by Derek Reeves for GGLO [enlarge]

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Bridges@11th, a new apartment complex in the University District, has earned LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Security Properties developed the project at 4557 11th Ave. N.E. It was completed in August.

GGLO was the architect and landscape architect. The team also included Bumgardner Architects, interior designer; Walsh Construction Co., general contractor; and Swenson Say Faget, structural engineer.

Bridges has three buildings — eight, seven and five stories — connected by passageways and skybridges.

There are 82 studio and open-one-bedroom units; 24 one-bedrooms; 12 loft one-bedrooms; 58 two-bedrooms; and eight three-bedrooms.

The complex also has 1,300 square feet of retail as well as community spaces and 125 parking stalls.

A rooftop deck is on one building and a pedestrian-oriented street called a woonerf separates two buildings.

Landscaping uses native, adaptive and drought-tolerant plants to help keep potential pollutants from storm drains.

GGLO said the skybridges allow access to the rooftop deck. One building would have needed a second internal stairway if it didn't have a skybridge.

Bridges@11th was used as a case study by the Center for Active Design in New York for its innovative approach to improving the health of residents, GGLO said.

The University of Washington owns the land, and arranged a long-term lease with Security Properties to develop the site in a joint venture with a capital partner.

Employees from the UW and Seattle Children's get priority in renting the units. The goal is to help replace housing that was removed for an expansion at Seattle Children's.