The Confluence is a new, ground-up, apartment building for Bellwether Housing consisting of 103 affordable housing units. Designed by Johnson Braund, the Confluence is located in the Foster neighborhood of Tukwila, just a block away from the Tukwila International Boulevard light rail station. With work on the building completed under COVID19 safety protocols, our project tour is 100% virtual (please drag the images to look around / click on the pushpins for points of interest). We hope you enjoy.
STOP 1 : Building Exterior
The building’s main frontage is on S 152nd Street with the long side of the building extending South away from the street. The sole live/work fronts the sidewalk with stacked block planters flanking the doorway. Landscaping at the lobby entrance includes several boulders that are native to the site. Additionally, the building’s sign incorporates many of the building’s exterior cladding elements and stands out while being consistent with the look of the building.
STOP 2 : Lobby
Entering the lobby you are greeted with a large accent wall with a unique wood design that was made from a cedar tree that was on site. The leasing office is on your right as well as the computer lab, and the large community room with a buffet-style kitchen is down the hall. To your left is a reception/waiting area with a custom wood table made from the same cedar tree as the accent wall, the mailroom, and access to the main 1st-floor hallway.
STOP 3 : Courtyard
Walking through the community room from the lobby and out into the building’s private gated courtyard gives residents ample room to be outside, whether cooking on the bar-be-cues, playing a game of giant chess, or just reading a book. Kids will enjoy conquering the play equipment located on a large turf area with a base made of tire buffins mixed with urethane for a soft and permeable play surface.
STOP 4 : Two-Bedroom Residential Unit
The residential unit options include studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms, and three-bedrooms. This unit is a corner two-bedroom with quartz countertops, vinyl plank flooring, and large windows for natural light. The units feature a modern design, energy efficient appliances, cove heating above the windows, and were built with sustainable materials.
STOP 5 : Sunroom
Moving up to the top floor, the Southeast corner of the building houses the Sunroom, an amenity space with room to relax. This space features a large TV, couches, tables, and a small food prep area. The main attraction though, and the naming of the room, is the light-filled windows and amazing views of the Cascade Mountains.
STOP 6 : Roof
There is no resident access to the roof, but it’s just so clean and nice we wanted to show you what it looks like. A photovoltaic array at the South end provides the building with supplemental clean renewable electricity and with a light-colored torch-down roof system, this roof is built to last. Rooftop mechanical systems are hidden away from public view by parapets all around.
STOP 7 : Rear of the Building
The “back of the house” systems for any building need to fade into the background and work quietly without much thought. Standing at the back of the Confluence Apartments, you’d be hard-pressed to know you were standing on top of a 230,000 gallon stormwater detention vault (click the pushpin if you don’t believe us!) This area also includes a bio pod stormwater filter, emergency generator, and trash enclosure.