Design Review - Design Excellence
What is Urban Design?
Urban Design is the careful and conscious design of our buildings, public spaces, and landscape, and how these promote sustainable lifestyles and safe, dynamic communities. As Seattle changes and grows, the thoughtful design and development of our built and natural environment is more critical than ever.
Below are some key principles for positive Urban Design that are universal. Specific regions, cities, and neighborhoods add more details relevant to their unique conditions, often in the form of a development code or Design Guidelines.
Key Principles of Urban Design
Respond to Physical Context & Site Features
- Integrate sustainable systems, materials, operations, species, and features
- Strengthen desirable form patterns, natural features, and public spaces
- Emphasize positive design elements, history, and character from the locale
Reinforce the Public Realm & Public Life
- Implement pedestrian connections, continuity, safety, and amenity
- Ensure street-level interaction with transparency, doors, and activating uses
- Create usable, sunny, and generous places for tenants, customers, and public
- Prioritize pedestrian, bike, and transit access, amenities, and facilities
High Quality Building Concept, Design, Materials, & Execution
- Arrange uses and access points to reinforce streets and the public realm
- Minimize impacts from vehicles, services, and utilities, and limit blank walls
- Compose buildings with multiple scales, depth, material variety, and quality
- Create positive open spaces with amenities and lush landscaping
- Integrate weather protection, lighting, signage, and all exterior details
Case Studies
Guidance offered through the design review process plays a pivotal role in encouraging thoughtful, well-designed, and engaging urban spaces and buildings. View the examples below to explore the evolution of project design through the design review process.
Address: 5400 9thAve NW
Record Number:3036912-EG
Project Description: Streamlined Design Review for 2, 3-story, townhouse buildings (5 units total) and 5 parking stalls.
Address: 6940 M L King Jr Way S
Record Number: 3018112-EG, 3018112-LU
Project Description: Design Review for a 6-story building containing 108 residential units above 5,750 sq. ft. of office space and 1,750 sq. ft. general sales & service to be located at street level and 43 parking stalls.
Address: 162 19th Ave
Record Number: 3033732-EG; 3033733-LU
Project Description: Administrative Design Review for a 4-story, 38-unit apartment building with no parking.
View 162 19th Ave photo album.
Visual Design Guidelines
The Citywide Design Guidelines are organized around three themes: Context and Site, Public Life, and Design Concept. Each of these themes contain several guidelines, along with related strategies and approaches for achieving the guidelines.
We have created a gallery of photographs that visually convey the intent of each of these guidelines. Please click on the links below to explore any of the themes. As you scroll over the photos, the title of each guideline appears. By clicking on any of the photos, you can read about the related strategies and approaches.
The full version of the Seattle Design Guidelines, Downtown Design Guidelines, and Neighborhood-Specific Design Guidelines are on the Design Guidelines page.
Every site has a context. Each project contributes to, and is part of, the greater context that defines the character of the city.
Guidelines within this section are intended to shape buildings that:
- Incorporate energy efficiency and sustainable solutions
- Arise from a solid understanding of the site’s natural and built assets
- Better the relationship between built form and open space, on and off site
- Support a positive, perceptible character and a distinctive sense of place
The amount and quality of public life is one measure of a community’s livability. Seattle’s success in creating a walkable, active, attractive city is fundamental to a sustainable future.
A strong design concept is more than the sum of its parts. A well-designed building and its open spaces are essential components of a livable and sustainable city.
Successful development in our downtown neighborhoods considers these elements:
- Site planning and massing that respond to the larger context of downtown and the region
- Architectural expression relating to the neighborhood context
- Building street façades that create a safe and interactive pedestrian environment
- Public amenities enhance the streetscape and open space
- Vehicular access and parking impacts on the pedestrian environment are minimized
City Life at Street Level
Active street life - both day and night - is a defining feature of great cities. Excellent building design at the street level can help activate streets, plus improve livability, economic vitality, neighborhood character, and public safety. City Life at Street Level describes and illustrates successful strategies that architects and designers have used to create sidewalk environments that support vibrant, safe, and attractive street life in Seattle. All of the strategies are consistent with adopted citywide Seattle Design Guidelines, in particular: PL3: Street-Level Interaction.
In 2019, urban designers at Seattle's Office of Planning and Community Development (OPCD) researched street level frontages in downtown neighborhoods to better understand which design qualities encourage public interaction and vibrant small businesses. They identified positive streetscape qualities that are universal no matter the scale of the building or storefront use: clear glass, welcoming entrances, canopies, lighting, outdoor seating, and detailing for pedestrian scale. Other qualities are more dependent on the activities inside and how they engage with the sidewalk.
Many people and processes impact good street level design. In addition to being used in support of SDCI's Design Review Program, this document will be a resource and guide for everyone – building owners and tenants, architects and designers, general public and agencies – for our collective work in shaping a city we all love.
Effective Design Review Packets
The intent of the Early Design Guidance (EDG) packet is to demonstrate your sincere exploration of the context and site in this early phase as you are developing design options. We have an EDG Checklist to help you prepare and assemble a meaningful packet that clearly documents and communicates your efforts to SDCI, the Design Review Board, and the community.
We have compiled an assortment of graphic examples from past projects that were particularly successful at clearly and succinctly communicating the site and massing information. Below is a sampling of these exemplary packets divided by each content section. Please keep in mind that these were developed for specific sites and projects, so you need to develop an approach best suited to your project. Our hope is that sharing these ideas and graphic strategies will help you consider how to convey your project's site and massing in the most efficient and effective manner.
The intent of the Recommendation packet is to demonstrate how your design has responded to the earlier guidance and present an architectural design. We have a Recommendation Checklist to help you prepare and assemble a meaningful packet that clearly documents and communicates your efforts to SDCI, the Design Review Board, and the community.
We have compiled an assortment of graphic examples from past projects that were particularly successful at clearly and succinctly communicating the design information. Below is a sampling of these exemplary packets divided by each content section. Please keep in mind that these were developed for specific sites and projects, so you need to develop an approach best suited to your project. Our hope is sharing these ideas and graphic strategies will help you consider how to convey your project's design in the most efficient and effective manner.
2019 People's Choice Urban Design Awards
In September 2019, we participated in the Seattle Design Festival and hosted the third biennial People's Choice Awards in Urban Design Excellence. The objectives for hosting the People's Choice Urban Design Awards were threefold:
- To dialogue with the public about urban design issues and considerations
- To promote public involvement in and understanding of the Design Review Program in Seattle
- To engage the public by encouraging people to vote on the finalist projects which they feel best exhibit urban design excellence
Before voting, we asked the public to consider key principles of urban design as criteria to evaluate the projects. We also believe it is important to recognize and praise the many architects and developers that are going through the design review process and doing great work in our communities!
Our Design Review Program staff started with a list of 200 Design Review projects that were completed over the past three years. We sorted projects into three categories: highrise, midrise, and lowrise. We then went through several selection rounds to identify exemplary projects, based on the Council-adopted Design Guidelines. We developed a short list of approximately 80 projects and a final list of 9 projects per category.
We then asked people to reflect on design and development in Seattle and explore what constitutes an exemplary Design Review Project. We invited everyone to vote for the project in each category that they felt demonstrated design excellence. People voted at the 2019 Seattle Design Festival and via an online survey.
We were very excited to receive over 500 votes in the People's Choice competition, and we are pleased to announce the winning buildings.
Lowrise Category
- 1st Place - Montisi Urban Studios at 4122 36th Ave SW by Cone Architecture
- 2nd Place - Chelsea Townhomes at 113 17th Ave E by NK Architects
- 3rd Place - Bryant Heights at 3300 65th St NE by Johnston Architects
Midrise Category
- 1st Place - WSECU Plaza at 1121 45th St by SkB Architects
- 2nd Place - The Huxley at 4754 Fauntleroy Way SW by Mithun
- 3rd Place - Broadstone Lexington at 1050 James St by Encore Architects
Highrise Category
- 1st Place - F5 Tower/The Mark at 801 5th Ave by ZGF Architects
- 2nd Place - 9th & Thomas at 234 9th Ave N by Olson Kundig
- 3rd Place - Tilt49 at 1812 Boren Ave by ZGF Architects
People's Choice Urban Design Awards
In September 2015, we participated in the Seattle Design Festival and launched The People's Choice Awards in Urban Design Excellence. We were very excited to receive over 1,400 votes in the People's Choice competition, and we are pleased to announce the winning buildings.
Lowrise Category
- 1st Place -Belroy Court at 711 Bellevue Ave East by Weinstein A+U
- 2nd Place -Anhalt Landmark Apartments at 1600 East John Street by Public 47 Architects
- 3rd Place - 109 12th Ave East by Elemental Architecture
Midrise Category
- 1st Place - 47+7 at 4558 7th Ave NE by CollinsWoerman
- 2nd Place - 12th Avenue Arts at 1620 12th Ave by SMR Architects
- 3rd Place - Chophouse Row at 1424 11th Ave by Sundberg Kennedy Ly-Au Young Architects
Highrise Category
- 1st Place - The Post at 888 Western Ave by VIA Architects
- 2nd Place - Cielo at 802 Seneca Street by Kwan Hemni Architecture
- 3rd Place - 400 Fairview by SKB Architects
In September 2017, we participated in the Seattle Design Festival and hosted the second biennial People's Choice Awards in Urban Design Excellence. We were very excited to receive over 1,400 votes in the People's Choice competition, and we are pleased to announce the winning buildings.
Lowrise Category
- 1st Place - Stencil Apartments at 2407 East Union Street by Johnston Architects
- 2nd Place - The Marion West Apartments at 5019 Roosevelt Way Northeast by Runberg Architecture Group
- 3rd Place - Third & Battery at 2400 3rd Avenue by Perkins + Will
Midrise Category
- 1st Place - Pike Motorworks at 714 East Pike Street by Weber Thompson
- 2nd Place - The Rooster at 900 Northeast 65th Street by Weinstein A+U
- 3rd Place - Clarendon Apartments at 105 Warren Avenue North by Encore Architects
Highrise Category
- 1st Place - 400 Dexter at 400 Dexter Avenue North by CollinsWoerman
- 2nd Place - Doppler at 2021 7th Avenue by NBBJ
- 3rd Place - 100 Stewart Hotel & Apartments at 1900 1st Avenue by Olson Kundig