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Yesler Community Center

photo by Juan Hernandez and Mithun


Facts

  • Name: Yesler Community Center
  • Goal: to replace an exisiting, outmoded community center with a facility that has space for community activities, sports, after-school care for elementary school-age kids, teen activities, classes, cultural activities and community gatherings  
  • Year Built: 2004
  • Address: 917 E Yesler Way
  • Client: Seattle Parks and Recreation
  • Designer: Mithun
  • Cost: $6,636,000
  • Size: 20,000 sq ft
  • Design Commission Reviews:
    • pre-design (June 6, 2002)
    • schematic design (September 19, 2002)
    • design development (February 20, 2003)

Design Commission's Influence
The Design Commission believed the rebuilding of the Yesler Community Center afforded the City a great opportunity to not only to better provide recreation and community facilities for the residents of First Hill but also to be a catalyst for redeveloping the area to an urban form more suitable for a neighborhood close to downtown.

The Design Commission made several recommendations for improvement to the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department and its design team:

 


.

Overall Concept and Direction

  • better define the design principles that will guide the evolution of the project's design




Connections and views to the surrounding neighborhoods.



Urban Design and Neighborhood Fit

  • develop the design to set the future direction for a much higher density neighborhood, recognizing this extremely valuable site will be a catalyst for future redevelopment
  • avoid an inward looking scheme and seize the opportunity to make better connections between this community and the larger city, especially downtown and First Hill
  • recognize this site is an important part of the City's Blue Ring/Open Space strategy and demonstrate how the project ties into it
  • reconsider the design of the west edge as a public edge since it opens onto the end of Broadway Avenue
  • create more openess along Yesler Way




South entry terrace.

photo by Juan Hernandez and Mithun



Site Planning

  • design the building so it fits the contours of both the neighborhood and site
  • design the grading on the south in the manner that fits with the delightful terrace character of the building's massing
  • further investigate how the south end of the site can be used for ecological functions
  • develop the site to accomodate the views, particularly at the intersection of Yesler Way and Broadway (which should not be used as an auto-drop off)
  • develop a massing concept and parking layout that maximizes public use of the site
  • redesign the suburban parking scheme for an urban setting, for example, by having fewer spaces, excavating underground parking, or creating a multi-use parking lot
  • reconsider the parking and plan configuratio
  • save the large trees on the site




Street facing windows.
photo by Juan Hernandez and Mithun



Design Refinements

  • make the openings of windows in the brick wall along the front facade more generous
  • reexamine the design of the east-facing street wall of the gym
  • explore ways to integrate the mechanical shed more into the character of the building
  • consider ways to integrate usable, flat open space with the grade change rather than having a single, large vertical wall
  • design the interior gym space and childcare center to reflect that it is a place for children
  • better connect the circulation and social spaces with the open spaces 

See other projects in the Visual Resume.