We believe this building gives a nod to Seattleites’ environmental values, while also reflecting our region’s reputation for embracing and advancing new innovation and technologies.”

Component-based Design: Constructing much needed housing smarter, faster, and stronger

A meeting of the minds helped Sustainable Living Innovations (SLI) transform a vision of component-based, high-tech design into a reality. As one of the innovators on SLI’s multi-discipline team, DCI Engineers helped make their multi-family housing product, a viable plug-and-play construction solution. The collaborators set out to build SLI 47+7, the first residential mid-rise produced by component-based design technology. The outcome is a shorter development timeline to construct vertical housing at a lower cost model, the quick ability to market the property and generate assets, and high quality built environments to provide tenants with optimized living space.

The 13,907-sf apartment building located in the University District on the corner of 47th Avenue and 7th street (47+7), will appeal to tenants wanting quick access to I-5, the University of Washington campus, and downtown Seattle. 24 living units were scaled to a range of sizes: 427-sf to 534-sf.

SLI wanted to integrate a streamlined way of building quality housing resembling a simplified assembly process. They also wanted column-free interior spaces so the apartments appear much larger for tenant comfort. DCI assisted with the research and development of numerous aspects of SLI’s component building technology. The engineers designed the initial structural systems for a warehouse prototype unit, then modified the system for a “production run” design.