LIVING GREEN

PIKE / PINE AS
AN ECODISTRICT

ENVISIONING THE
PIKE / PINE
CONSERVATION
OVERLAY
DISTRICT
AS AN
ECODISTRICT

MEGAN HERZOG
ZACK SANDERS
CEP 498
SPRING 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROJECT STATEMENT

Fig. 1: District Overview

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1

ECODISTRICT

01 05 07
1. Figure One

ZONE 6

CONTEXT

Fig. 2: Neighborhood Context

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5

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Fig. 3: Building Age

Fig. 4: Residential Units &

Commercial Space

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7

5. Figure Two

7. Figure Three

07 09 11
7. Figure Four

9. Figure Five

10. Figure Six

SITE MAP

Fig. 5: Existing Conditions

PROPOSED SITE MAP

Fig. 6: Site Plan - West Side

Fig. 7: Site Plan - East Side

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12

SKETCHUP RENDERING

Fig. 8: Before

Fig. 9: After

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14

VIZUALIZATION

Fig. 10: Plan View

Fig. 11: Before / After Detail

Fig. 12: Before / After Detail

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18
19

CONCLUSION

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12 14 14
11. Figure Seven

13. Figure Eight

13. Figure Nine

16 18 19
15. Figure Ten

16. Figure Eleven

17. Figure Twelve

PROJECT STATEMENT
SEATTLE

CAP. HILL
PIKE / PINE

FIGURE 1
The Pike-Pine Conservation Overlay District (PPCOD) in the
Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, WA is a regulated space
intended to preserve the historic character of the existing pre1940s structures that lined auto-row. Capitol Hill is currently
known for its booming bar scene and disreputable gentrification.
Within this, the PPCOD is making extra efforts to preserve the
lively atmosphere and support small businesses. However, it
is imperative that architects and construction teams practice
sustainable development. In building with the future in mind, this
district will cater to both the immediate needs of the community
and the long-term demands of the environment. If regulations
are followed, Capitol Hill will remain a successful, high density,
and mixed-use neighborhood.
By framing development around the concept of an EcoDistrict,
the PPCOD will set an example for the greater Seattle area, the
nation, and even the world. By meeting practicing sustainable
development and placing significance on planning for the future,
this project rationalizes the ways in which Living Green is
practical, feasible and necessary.

01

ECODISTRICT

An EcoDistrict is where sustainability is applied at the neighborhood level. EcoDistricts

provide a framework for developing sustainable infrastructure. By approaching the
built environment with a comprehensive view of all communities, buildings and existing
infrastructure, EcoDistricts create sustainable neighborhoods in the fullest sense of
the word. Eco-development helps to increase efficiencies, reduce pollution, restore
ecosystems, and improve communities at large. These changes are made possible
by the design of buildings, human behavior changes, and investing in infrastructure.
EcoDistricts are measured for improved performance over time.
EcoDistricts approach sustainability through six key Performance Areas, being:
Community, Transportation, Energy, Water, Habitat and Materials. Together, these
elements provide a fullbodied view of sustainability. They are used to prioritize the
needs of the community at hand, and as a framework to measure the success of an
EcoDistrict over time. Within the Pike-Pine Conservation Overlay District, the built
environment could benefit largely by prioritizing advances in the Community as well
as creating a standard for Water management. By focusing efforts toward Community
and Water, as two of the six Performance Areas that make up an EcoDistrict, the PPCOD
will be able to address both social and environmental challenges.
The Capitol Hill neighborhood is known for its progressive, engaged residents, as well as
its walkable, green urban form. The intent of improving the PPCOD for the Community
is to create an equitable, healthy and vibrant community that supports sustainable
living. Environmentally sustainable projects will increase the overall equity, health and
cultural vibrancy of the district. Water, as a Performance Area, can be improved with
the intent to conserve potable water; reduce blackwater production and stormwater
runoff. Here, Seattles infamous rainfall can be harvested, utilized, and reused. While
rain primarily falls on impervious surfaces, green infrastructure will be able to cleanse
stromwater runoff and maintain the availability and reliability of water.

02

ZONE 6

In Seattle, WA, within the Capitol Neighborhood and inside the Pike-Pine Conservation
Overlay District, lies an area of study that will be referred to as Zone 6. The footprint
of this site is two blocks in size, located between 10th and 12th Avenue, and spanning
between East Pike and East Union Street. This site is unique in that it is wrought with
mixed-use buildings, historic preservation, and active night life. Currently, massive
construction sites dominate the street scape, as seen in the image above. With
buildings that range from Grace Church, to Caffe Vita, to Ferrari and Maserati of Seattle,
all ranges of interets can be met within these two blocks.
Due to the roof-top filled skyline of Zone 6, this study area is full of potential to develop
within the framework of an EcoDistrict. Our intervention is to implement green roofs
on every roof within the zone. This development will help the Capitol Hill neighborhood
become an EcoDistrict at large. Green roofs address many aspects of the EcoDistrict
Performance Areas, primarily that of Community and Water. Green roofs with public
access will provide space for public gatherings, create a strong sense of place, and
promote community interaction. They will also open up the possibility of community
gardens and encourage citizens to take ownership of the spaces available to them. The
green roofs will also be used for stromwater treatment to increase the areas overall
permeability. By coordinating with major institutions to implement roof replacements,
Zone 6 will retrofit its surfaces with living green roofs that will both collect, use and reuse
stormwater year-round. This intervention improves the environmental performance of
Zone 6 while providing a platform for both citizens and residents to meet and become
engaged with the community around them.
This development will be supported by the Capitol Hill EcoDistrict project, the Bullitt
Foundation, public policy that is drafted in reference to the Portland Sustainability
Institutes EcoDistrict Toolkit, and the City of Seattle Land Use Codes that are sitespecific. Both new and refined policies will be necessary to implement this intervention.

03

NEIGHBORHOOD CONTEXT

Our study area is situated in a vibrant strip of Capitol Hill, and

is rapidly changing. There are no parks or areas for kids on
these two blocks. The extent of communal spaces on the block
are stoops along Pike Street. Land use in this area is consistent
with that showing mostly parking, industrial, and retail, with only
some mixed use and multi-family parcels. It is also apparent that
public transit routes seem to encompass the study area. By walking a block in any direction, major bus lines to almost anywhere
in Seattle can be found, and being boxed in by bike lanes makes
it easily accessible by the greater Seattle community. This is what
makes it an important location for an intervention.

04

FIGURE 2

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

FIGURE 3
Within the study area, there is a lack of building age diversity.
walking by, it is clear that most building are from the beginning of
the century, and are interspersed with development that has just
recently shot up. This causes stark contrast, as well as makes it
rich for new development as these buildings start to deteriorate,
making it a prime candidate for intervention. Another clue to why
this site is perfect is the mixed uses of the current spaces. While
the whole block is rimmed with retail square footage, four existing and two new apartment buildings will be rising up in the next
few years, creating a vibrant block with people flowing through
it at all times, creating a prime opportunity to give a communal
space back to Seattlites that they can be proud of.

LEGEND

BUILDING AGE

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
N
RESIDENTIAL UNITS
*Commercial Space in square feet

06

FIGURE 4

RESIDENTIAL UNITS &

COMMERCIAL SPACE *

LEGEND

EXISTING SITE MAP

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Taking a closer look at the study area, the amount of change it

is currently undergoing is significant. While the existing facades
of two of the three buildings under construction are being
preserved, the character will change drastically as the Under
Construction plot turns from a below grade parking lot to a sixstory apartment building. This, plus the other buildings expanding
their residential capacity, will mean many more people will be
living on these two blocks in the next few years.

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FIGURE 5

PROPOSITION
Our proposition to make Zone 6 part of the EcoDistrict is twofold, yet very interconnected. The first change is to cover most of
the roofs in the study area with green roofs. This vegetation will
act as insulation for the building as well as improve the aesthetic
quality of the rooftops and provide habitat for birds and insects,
but our main goal focuses on two components, community
and water management. The gardens and grass on the top of
these roofs will be open in places to the public, providing more
communal space for people to mingle, meet, and relax in some
of the cities best real estate. They will also provide places for
community members to start gardens similar to the Seattle
P-Patch community garden program. These green roofs will also
perform rainwater capture, slowing the runoff from these roofs
to prevent flooding of storm drains.
They will also flow into the second aspect of our intervention, a
retention pond with a surrounding park. This easily accessible
green space will draw in residents and visitors as a quiet place to
avoid the hustle and bustle of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood. The
retention pond will also filter roof and street runoff before letting
it seep into the water table below. This will purify street runoff to
help keep our local waterways clean. Here is a crucial stage in the
hydrologic cycle, as storm water works now, all pollutants that
are spilled on the roadway will get washed into waterways every
time it rains, but if this rain is funneled into a pond and allowed
to naturally filter through soil, it will be drastically cleaner before
returning to the Puget Sound and Lake Washington.
Together, these two interventions will give a distinct identity
to the blocks as environmentally conscious and community
oriented. They will also inspire neighboring areas to make similar
changes, furthering the shift from our current style of impervious
city design to a more sustainable and livable alternative.

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PROPOSED SITE MAP

SITE PLAN:

WEST SIDE

EAST SIDE

10th Ave. - 11th Ave.

E Pike St. - E Union St.

11th Ave. - 12th Ave.

E Pike St. - E Union St.

10th Avenue

LEGEND

LEGEND

E Union St.

FIGURE 7

FIGURE 6

11

11th Avenue

SITE PLAN:

E Union St.

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SKETCHUP MODEL

BEF ORE

FIGURE 8
Today, 11th Ave looks like a maze of construction signs and fencing, dumpsters and work equipment, but it could also be a vibrant
stretch of road with many eyes overlooking it and things to do
along the street front. What was once a hassle and eye sore for
pedestrians, will become an inviting street, where midway down
you stumble upon a stretch of park and a beautiful pond, without
even knowing that this pond serves a vital function in the Seattle
Sewer System by capturing and filtering runoff, and protecting
the health of the Puget Sound.

A F TER

In a place where stark concrete walls have risen up next to parking lots, there will be green roofs and living walls sprouting off of
every building. The activity of many native birds and a fresh smell
in the air will only be beaten by the public green roofs located a
few stories above the street. From here, visitors and residents
alike can enjoy sweeping vistas of the city, an unobstructed view
of Rainier, the sun on their face, or just the quiet of being off the
street. Regardless, any change behind the historical retail front
along Pike Street would be welcomed by the citizens over the asphalt oasis, why shouldnt it be a change that will help man and
nature alike?

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FIGURE 9

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VISUALIZING THE FUTURE

By the year 2025, this site will have grown into an active and useful
neighborhood commodity. By giving the Pike-Pine Conservation
Overlay District a a green facade, this green roof intervention will
benefit all building residents, locals and citizens of Seattle, as well
as serving as a tourist attraction. The following images show a
snapshot of the future. With growth in the foliage that is used to
retain and filter stormwater, as well an increase in the usage of
community gardens and public space, these roofs will be active
and verdent. With ramps that serve as bridges to connect the
roofs, these green pastures will become a park in the sky. Similar
to Seattles famous Freeway Park, these green roofs in Zone 6 of
Capitol Hill have the potential to be Seattles first Sky Park.

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17

VISUALIZING THE FUTURE

BEF ORE

A F TER
FIGURE 11

BEF ORE

A F TER
FIGURE 12

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CONCLUSION

In a rapidly changing world, we must adapt faster to increased

demands and shifting perceptions. The PPCOD was established
to keep the physical structure of the neighborhood conducive
to its current vibrancy, but we cannot rely on physical structure
alone. EcoDistricts are a framework where we can also support
environmental and communal processes in the neighborhood.
By taking Zone 6 and adding public green roofs, we will be
able to reinforce the already tight community of the Capitol
Hill Neighborhood. By giving these residents resources and
opportunities, they will be able to affect the entire city. Imagine
someones desire to have a rooftop garden after seeing a sea of
examples on Google Maps and out their own window, covering
two blocks of the city. The benefits provided by this interventions
function as a water management system will also take a heavy
burden off of the municipal sewer and will improve rather than
tax the environment. As population continues to grow in Seattle,
the commodity of space is becoming more apparent, and the
need to implement changes that positively affect multiple city
issues. Let us move to the roofs!

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LIST OF SOURCES

FIGURE SOURCES
Figure 1
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12

GIS by Megan Herzog, Data from WAGDA, CEP 498 Assignment 2

GIS by Zack Sanders, Data from WAGDA
GIS by Zack Sanders, Data from WAGDA
GIS by Zack Sanders, Data from WAGDA and King County Assessors
GIS by Zack Sanders, Data from WAGDA
GIS by Zack Sanders, Data from WAGDA
Sketchup by Zack Sanders
Sketchup by Zack Sanders
Photoshop by Megan Herzog
Photoshop by Megan Herzog
Photoshop by Megan Herzog and Zack Sanders

IMAGE SOURCES
Cover Image: Photo courtesy of Megan Herzog
Image 1
https://www.djc.com/stories/images/20110217/EcoDistrictRendering_big.jpg
Image 2
Photo courtesy of Megan Herzog
Image 3
http://farm9.static.flickr.com/8212/8446401246_58efe548c2.jpg
Image 4
Photo courtesy of Megan Herzog
Image 5
Photo courtesy of Megan Herzog

LAYOUT SOURCE
Indesign Layout by Megan Herzog