At the conclusion of our interview for a new mixed-use building, in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood, we were asked if we had any further observations. Around the table were two members of Common Ground, the nonprofit development agency that had invited us to be interviewed for the project, the Director of Operations for Senior Services, the nonprofit agency who would become our client, and two members of Senior Services Board of Directors. In response to the question, we expressed our enthusiasm to be considered for the project, some insights into the zoning challenges (with an FAR of 1, we would have to use exceptions to the Code to get the three levels of offices planned), and excitement about the synergy of placing 25 units of affordable senior housing above three floors of offices for a nonprofit agency, Senior Services.

Weinstein A|U Architects + Urban Designers was selected for the project in the fall of 1999. By the opening celebration, in May 2003, none of the individuals present at our interview where still involved in the project. The project survived three changes in project managers from Common Ground, the departure of Senior Services Director of Operations, an attempted coup d'etat of the CEO (and the project) by a disgruntled group on the Board, and the birth of three children.

Working with nonprofit agencies to realize their projects is always challenging: multiple constituents/multiple clients, conflicting communication, differing agendas, ambitions that exceed budgets, complicated financing, etc. The projects always have wonderful stories, and can make for wonderful architecture.. with perseverance, endurance, and luck.

Senior Services is the largest non-profit agency serving older people in Washington. Established in 1967, the agency annually serves over 50,000 seniors and their families throughout King County. It's programs range from day health centers, social events and meals-on-wheels, to minor home repair, social work and caregiver referral services. Unable to renew their lease during the real estate boom of the 1990's, Senior Services was forced to look at other options to remain downtown, central to their client group. They found a tight (6,480 sf), mid-block lot on Second Avenue, in the heart of Seattle's Belltown neighborhood. Close to downtown business/shopping district, Cultural institutions and public transportation, the location was well suited for the agency's desire for visibility and access.

Weinstein A|U was selected to provide full architectural services from concept design and programming through contract administration. Although Senior Services' program and mission were well suited to creating this mixed-use building, they had never before undertaken a capitol project. The Design team was led by Richard Yancey, Principal-in-Charge, and Ed Weinstein, Collaborating Principal, and were supported by Kasra Tavaokli and Susi Lill, the project team from Weinstein A|U, as well as engineers Swenson Say Fagét, SvR and Ecotope.

Jan Knutson, the CEO of Senior services, was instrumental in being an advocate for the project though its many challenges. Several of the board members along with staff, Allison Feher, the agency's Project Manager, and Gwen Robbins, VP for Development, were key representatives from Senior Services. Senior Services retained Common Ground, a development agency that specializes in working with non-profit agencies, to assist them in planning and coordinating the funding of the project, and the Collins Group to assist them with an $11M Capitol Campaign. Joanna Martin was the ultimate development manager from Common Ground. Senior Services also retained Sid Kitchings, a construction manager, to facilitate communication, track the project schedule and budget, and act as the Owner's representative.

Our work on this important project had several unusual challenges:
• Securing entitlements proved challenging, as the mixed-use program did not fit the letter of the zoning code.
• The complicated project funding created not only multiple bid packages, but also the need to market the project effectively to the Board, funders, the Mayor and the users.
• The changing members, and often differing agendas, of the ownership group required an effective method of communication and clear record of the decision tree.
• Architecturally, the design team had to develop an extremely cost effective solution that could be marketed to the multiple clients, review boards, and community members.

Entitlement
Many mixed-use buildings frequently don't precisely fit in the zoning or building codes definitions, however the Senior Services project initially appeared unbuildable. The Belltown location had a Floor Area Ratio requirement of (1), and, although residential is exempt from parking requirements, the office wasn't. The FAR (1) meant that only one level of non-exempted use was allowed. Although all of the residential portions would not count toward the FAR, none of the 18,250 of office was exempt outright. Similarly, the residential and 2,000 SF of the office areas did not have parking requirements, but the remaining office could require up to 16 parking stalls. On this 60' wide, flat, single lot, this parking count would have killed the project.

The design team was able to demonstrate to Seattle's Department of Planning and Development that all but the executive and accounting offices of Senior Services provide direct "human services", and therefore was exempt from both the FAR and parking requirements. This provision allowed the project to move forward, providing only two parking stalls.

Funding
The project had over seven different funding sources. This complex funding array had some unforeseen impacts to the design team. The building, including the office tenant improvements, cost approximately $5,350,000 to build, and had a total development cost of about $8,250,000. Funds were obtained from Senior Services Capital Campaign, a bank loan, Seattle Community Development Block Grants, King County Community Development Block Grants, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Seattle Office of Housing, and Washington State Housing Trust Fund.

Each funding source has its own agenda, project and application requirements, and deadlines. It is critical to create a master schedule that identifies all the application deadlines, milestones and requirements, at the project inception. These funding packages can require time and effort from the design team that may not be anticipated in their initial scope of work. Furthermore, to take advantage of using a pre-selected general contractor required that we effectively split the project into two components: the shell and core, and the office tenant improvements.

Pre-qualifying and selecting the general contractor, Walsh Construction, at the end of Schematic Design, was critical to the success of the project. Walsh was able to provide dynamic cost estimating, scheduling, and constructability input as the project developed. As an integral member of the design and development team, Walsh was able to assist in keeping the project on schedule and on budget, as well as developing a very build-able design.

The office improvement funding, however, required competitive bids. This forced the team to split the project in two, with two permit sets, two construction sets, and two schedule of values. The multiple bid and permit packages added an unanticipated layer of complexity to the entire design and entitlement process. The development team was also faced with the unique requirement of needing to spend a significant amount of funding before construction was fully underway. One funding source required spending a percentage of its funds on a specific timeline to "show progress," even though this was out of sequence with the schedule of our project. Walsh was able to facilitate this by pre-purchasing and storing construction components, such as rebar, tensioning cables, hardware, etc.

Communication
Effective communication is critical to the success of any project. On a multi-constituent, multiple client projects it is imperative. The design team must become a constant advocate for the project, able to promote and articulate the project goals to a variety of constituents, including the Mayor's Office, the building department, review boards, the community, potential donors, the agency and its Board.

In working with group clients, it is important to leave a trail of "crumbs" documenting the decision and approval process. Organizations are dynamic entities, and the communication process should anticipate this. Officers leave and new ones arrive; Boards can change; influential participates do not attend all meetings; etc. Developing a strategy for keeping these diverse groups informed, getting their effective input and consent, and documenting and publishing decisions is essential to keeping a project on track, and preventing the design team from re-considering past decisions.

The most critical communication tool is identifying who will be making the decisions for the organization. The more power vested in this person or group, the more efficient the process will be. Senior Services retained Sid Kitchings, as their Owner's Representative. Sid was invaluable in facilitating decision making for the organization, and helping them track their budget and schedule, and negotiating with the general contractor. Through all of the internal disputes and conflicting agendas, Sid was able to remain an impartial participant, facilitating the owner to make decisions and move the project forward. Having an effective owner's representative can greatly increase the efficiency of the design process, and facilitate communication between the design team the clients.

Beyond clear and concise meeting minutes, Weinstein A|U often uses workbooks when collaborating with client groups. At the beginning of the design process, workbooks are given to all key participants, including tabs as appropriate for schedules, budgets, programs, meetings minutes, and design development documentation. These binders are filled as the project develops and become the record of both the design process and the decisions made. They create a clear trail that explicates how the team got from here to there, and the material can be published and inserted into all the binders, even when participants miss key meetings and decision points.

Architecture
The design team focused energy early and developed a simple, cost-effect, yet durable concept that could be easily understood by all constituents. The project needed to address the needs of the owner and the future apartment occupants; the restrictions of the zoning and building codes; and the concerns of the Downtown Design Review Board and adjacent property owners.

On the tight, mid-block site, the project maximized the synergies between its two occupants: the Senior Services agency and the senior apartments. The lower three floors extend the full depth of the lot and house Senior Services' administrative offices. The upper five floors step back, providing a landscaped terrace at the 4th floor, and further separating the housing levels from the adjacent condominium tower.

Multi-purpose rooms and interview rooms were placed at street level, promoting walk-in clients. Most of the agency's program spaces are on the second and third floors, connected by an open, sky-lit stair. A common room, facing the street, is provided for each residential level. A shared rooftop terrace and garden "pea patch" is accessible to all users, at the top of the building.

The project employs a cost-effective, unitized curtain wall system to both reduce construction time, and provide large areas of glazing. Recognizing that eventual development of the adjacent properties would cover the north and south facades, a simple, articulation of the fire-resistive party walls was developed. By utilizing solidly grouted, ground-face CMU to support the slab edge on these elevations, the building's facade also serves as the structure. Recessed accent bands articulate the floor slabs, and provide scale and pattern to these facades. The accent bands are integrated into the details of the unitized window wall. Metal sunscreens / light shelves further embellish the structure and allow for controlled natural light, at the office levels, while metal window boxes provide scale and amenity to the residential floors.

The concept had a great story. The synergies of the building occupants were realized in the shared lobby, the shared elevators and stairs, and the shared rooftop garden. While each entity is able to maintain its independence, these mutually supported elements allowed the team to reduce redundancies and cost, while providing opportunities to bring together the building's community. This mutuality was recognized not only in the building's program, but also in the dual-use of the structure and fa�ade, and subtle articulation of the elevation from office to residence.

Conclusion
Working on complex, multi-constituent projects can be challenging. When overlaid with the multiple funding agencies that frequently accompany non-profit work, however, the design process can become confusing at best, and hazardous at worst. The two most essential factors to keep these projects on track with a successful outcome are effective project leadership and effective communication. This leadership needs to be demonstrated in many forms: Developing a flexible strategy to address all the restraints and requirements of the project and process; Keeping the key decision-makers effectively involved in the design and development process; Marketing the project effectively to various groups; And, most importantly, developing a clear, comprehensible and compelling concept.

Our non-profit work has been very gratifying, if not always the most profitable. We consider helping these agencies realize their ambitions an important value for our firm and its contribution to our communities.

Senior Services Lillian Rice Center and Belltown Senior Apartments
Development Team
Owner: Senior Services of King County
Development Agency: Common Ground
Owner Representative: WS Kitchings
Architect: Weinstein A|U Architects + Urban Designers
Structural: Swenson Say Fagét
Civil Engineer and Landscape Architect: SvR Design Company
Energy Compliance: Ecotope
General Contractor: Walsh Construction Company