On Seattle’s Wall Street, between 4th and 5th Avenue, the Devonshire apartment building maintains its historic 1925 charm while remaining, surprisingly, affordable.

Thanks to a recent retrofit by structural engineer Swenson Say Fagét (SSF), in collaboration with ARC Architects, Buchanan General Contracting, and non-profit partner Community Roots Housing (who’s owned the building since the 90’s), the block-wide brick residence has been seismically retrofitted, helping preserve the historic building and securing 62 units of affordable housing for the next century.

In the late 70’s, the building was threatened to become a 48-story tower, and in 2021 a plumbing issue nearly decommissioned the space. But $33 million from the city of Office of Housing, Heritage Bank and federal tax credits, supported Community Roots Housing in completing a top-to-bottom restoration, The Seattle Times reported.

“Crews poured new concrete shear walls inside the masonry to meet seismic codes. They solved puzzles ranging from odd rooftop structures composed of stacked old-growth timbers to ancient ducts, nicknaming the new walls after cheeses — cheddar, never Swiss. (“No holes allowed,” Sullivan quips.)” (Jean Sherrard, The Seattle Times).

Help us celebrate design in community by reading The Seattle Times’ article about the building’s restoration, “Built in 1925, Seattle’s restored Devonshire Apartments preserve affordable housing.”

The Seattle Times

A longtime sponsor of the Festival, we’re excited to spotlight Swenson Say Fagét’s work that makes a real, tangible impact in our city and beyond. SSF has been integral to SDF since its founding, helping create our original office in 2011. From helping create more affordable housing options to preserving historic buildings, we’re happy to showcase these engineers in our Design in Community series.