DESCRIPTION.

The Central District community in Seattle, Washington has experienced challenges to social resiliency and coping capacities over the past few decades due to gentrification.  During the 1960s-70s, redlining took place around the city as racial restrictions barred people of color from buying homes closer to the Seattle area, which resulted in the resident population being nearly 75% black in Central District during the time. Racial discrimination forced African Americans to reside in Central District.  Today, the community is primarily white, with less than 18% of the neighbors being African American.

Jackson Plaza was designed to assist in enhancing the existing community life within the neighborhood and work with the locals.  The three designs goals were to (1) inform the community of the strong presence of ‘people’ and culture, (2) design performances within and around the form that identify main access points, and (3) create spaces that support the resident’s personal, emotional, and physical growth and wellness.   The building’s features and installations will embrace the culture within Central District while provide living spaces affordable for low-income families and individuals. 

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The AIA COTE Top Ten Student Competition recognizes ten exceptional student design studio projects that integrate health, sustainability, and equity, characterized in terms of 10 measures ranging from Community to Water to Wellness.  Inspiration from natural elements assisted in generating building systems that maintain a respectable quality of living that incorporate the COTE topics.

Accelerated Graduate Studio | 2021 | Seattle, WA

AIA COTE Top Ten Student Competition

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In collaboration with:

Anguel Atanassov, Denise Tlatelpa