Westlake Residence

                Our second site on the first day was a construction site that had a grown level for artists and the upper floors were for apartments. When seeing the residences that were presently being constructed I saw more of a design perspective in the accented notes of the heavy concrete plates and slabs that make up the flooring and parts of the walls of the mostly studio apartments. The construction process was the most interesting. It seemed as if the workers were constantly learning and figuring out exactly where everything was going, which I think is one of the most interesting processes I’ve ever witnessed in the field of design. Our tour guide guided us on an informational quest throughout the hallways and half-finished stairwells that showed basically all of the layers of the process that builds the building from the ground up. One of the most interesting parts of our tour was the main floor/lobby/arts center with an upper deck that looked out upon the street level windows. One of the better ideas I saw being put to work in the main lobby area was the natural lighting that improved the overall implied space and height of the ceilings. The exposed beams added an industrial look that would fit an art studio perfectly. The deck at the top of the building has one of the most beautiful views of the Space Needle and the lake, which would bring up all of the residents and provide a kind of community space for the entirety of the building. This space could work for small functions or parties or possibly a date!