The building was honored by the American Institute of Architects in its 2011 AIA Housing Awards. The ten multifamily and special housing projects recognized with awards range from a converted 19th-century jail in Salem, Massachusetts, to a new transitional housing campus in San Antonio, Texas. ArchitectureWeek will also publish the eight single-family homes that received 2011 AIA housing awards.

Urban Color in Seattle

The 1111 East Pike building is located in Seattle's Pike/Pine Corridor, within walking distance of a grocery store, park, shops, and restaurants. Designed by Olson Kundig Architects, the building places 27 residential units above a ground-level retail space — occupied by a boutique cupcake shop — and two levels of underground parking.

The owner and developer, Anne Michelson, is a longtime resident of the neighborhood who sought to provide housing for people working nearby, with goals of both economic and cultural sustainability. The 39,100-square-foot (3,630-square-meter) building contains primarily "open one-bedroom" units ranging in size from roughly 600 to 800 square feet (55 to 75 square meters), and priced starting just below $240,000.

A clever, custom-designed "puzzle door" makes these compact units more adaptable. The large sliding wall panel, shaped like a wide upside-down L, modulates separation between the bedroom, kitchen, and living areas.   >>>