Swinerton celebrates topping out of Heartwood, the tallest mass timber building in the City of Seattle
“Heartwood will provide the community with desperately-needed middle-income housing for workers that is near job centers and mass transit, without sacrificing quality or our duty to the planet and its people,” said William Silva, Director of Preconstruction, Swinerton.
SEATTLE (PRWEB) December 21, 2022
Swinerton a 134-year-old builder with a reputation for innovation, announced today the topping out of the nation’s first middle-income housing development constructed of mass timber; and the tallest mass timber building in the City of Seattle. Heartwood is a workforce housing development standing at eight stories and 67,000 gross square feet. With a target completion in Spring 2023, Heartwood will provide 126 affordable rental units, filling a critical need for middle-income workers such as teachers, nonprofit employees, healthcare professionals and others who are increasingly priced out of high-cost cities. Located immediately adjacent to Seattle’s commercial corridor on Union and 14th St., Heartwood is close to transit, job centers and community services, benefiting the environment and residents.
“Heartwood will provide the community with desperately-needed middle-income housing for workers that is near job centers and mass transit, without sacrificing quality or our duty to the planet and its people,” said William Silva, Director of Preconstruction, Swinerton. “All made possible by an inspiring owner and a dedicated project team who worked tirelessly to bring this project to fruition, benefitting the residents and community for years to come.”
Heartwood is the first tall wood building permitted by Seattle. Swinerton joined the project team in a design-build capacity for the overall construction, including the mass timber structure which was detailed, fabricated and integrated by Timberlab, a full-service mass timber contractor. Through the design phase, Swinerton worked with architect, atelierjones and structural engineer, DCI Engineers to determine the optimal unit layout and structural grid to meet the programmatic and budget needs of the project. Swinerton also led meetings with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections to propose solutions that address fire and life safety during both construction and occupancy.
In addition to the 126 studio and one-bedroom apartments, the project also will feature a lobby, retail space, shared courtyard, fire pit, BBQ area, and multiple bike storage rooms. Constructed in just over 12 months, the building features exposed, eco-friendly Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) ceilings and glulam beams within the units, hallways and lobby, which lower the overall carbon footprint of the structure by almost half, compared with more traditional construction methods. Timberlab’s Taylor Cabot, project manager, and Lauren Magasako, digital construction and modeling lead, worked closely with the design team to develop a wood-to-wood bearing connection that eliminates steel hardware, saving both time and money. The project also will be 4-star Built Green Certified and is the recipient of the WoodWorks 2022 Design Award.
About Swinerton
Swinerton provides commercial construction and construction management services throughout the United States. Founded in 1888, Swinerton is 100% employee-owned and is the preferred builder and trusted partner in every market it serves—proudly leading with integrity, passion, and excellence. Swinerton has regional offices in Spokane and Seattle, Wash.; Portland, Ore.; Concord, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Santa Ana and San Diego, Calif.; Honolulu; Denver; Dallas and Austin, Texas; Atlanta; Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C. and New York City. For more information, please visit https://www.swinerton.com.
About Timberlab
Timberlab is a full-service mass timber general contractor that makes projects pencil. With a holistic view of the construction process, Timberlab provides expertise in preconstruction, digital construction, timber engineering, procurement, fabrication and installation. With projects spanning the entire country, Timberlab aims to help accelerate the mainstream adoption of mass timber construction in all 50 states from their office in Portland, Ore. For more information on Timberlab, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swinerton, visit: https://www.timberlab.com.