Sweetbrier

Located at the heart of the urban neighborhood Queen Anne Hill, the 45-unit mixed-use apartment building Sweetbrier incorporates the brick facades and column bases of the neighborhood’s early-1900s style with metal paneling, aluminum windows, glass tile, and sleek interiors for today’s modern tenants. The rounded corner and mid-block “arch” tie street-level retail into the upper-floor residential façade and create a community anchor. Light-filled, space-efficient units appear larger than their square footage thanks to decks, balconies, and bay windows, while a second-floor courtyard, formed by the building’s U-shape, maximizes sunlight for private decks and community tenant use. The multiple features and functions of this project called for continual balancing of fiscal responsibility, community input, and client needs, and the beauty and popularity of the result is proof of the firm’s success.