ABSTRACT
On Capitol Hill, the non-profit Housing Resources Group of Seattle developed Mercer Court at the corner of Mercer and 12th Avenue. Developed for low and moderate-income households, the place resembles an upscale condominium. Downtown Seattle has had its own share of dreadful residential developments. The featureless building wedged into an odd-shaped site along Elliott Avenue near the Alaskan Way viaduct is hardly mitigated by the addition of a silly green awning along the parapet. A pleasant garden at the corner gives a splash of seasonal color to the intersection. Most single-family housing developers have catered to people who want an ostentatious display of wealth: a house attached to a three-car garage. New, more diverse forms of housing must be provided to broaden choices and enliven neighborhoods. A number of non-profit organizations throughout the city are sponsoring the construction of low-cost homes. Located in the Central Area, it consists of a row of three buildings arranged around a shared courtyard.
