This week Trace North has been unwrapped (click-thru for high-res photos):
I’m so glad it’s finally getting unwrapped, I’m tired of living beside the “death star” as the developer referred to the wrap. With it finally unwrapped I’m very surprised how easy it is to see into the units from the street! Floor to ceiling windows suddenly aren’t so appealing. I’m also not a fan of the Juliet decks; they should be banned.
Closings will start May 18th. I think they’re around 30% sold.
Search for Trace units on Redfin. With the wrap done and lots of units looking done I hope they add better photos to the listings soon.
Popularity: 34% [?]
17 responses so far ↓
1 vc // Apr 2, 2008 at 10:26 pm
It’s gorgeous. This is what Capitol Hill architecture should look like.
Did you catch the 96-response thread over on the slog about the stalled development on pine?
http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/how_a_crusade_to_save_pikepine_is_turnin
We need more warehouse aesthetic, less cheesy condo eye crime.
2 Eric K // Apr 2, 2008 at 11:03 pm
They did a great job with the metal siding. For an example of poor metal siding, see the Madison Lofts. They used what looks like leftover steel decking in front of the elevator. It looks terrible — especially with the surrounding brick. They would have been better off with fiber cement boards like the E Union lofts by Liz Dunn.
3 jcricket // Apr 3, 2008 at 9:30 am
Dear god - those “decks” are ridiculous. Why would anyone want a sliding glass door and then a metal grating in front of it? Why not just put a nice casement window and give the homeowner extra wall space?
I can’t for the life of me understand the point behind the Juliet Deck trend (they also have it on the Borealis apartments and the 3-story apartment building at 15th and John by Group Health).
4 jcricket // Apr 3, 2008 at 9:34 am
BTW - I lived in a place with a “wall of windows” probably 45 ft. long (out of 60 ft in the apartment). It all faced South.
Was broiling, even though Seattle’s never that hot. Didn’t help I also had a floor-to-ceiling west-facing window which caught the evening sun too.
I think a far better design is windows that span the unit horizontally from above a couch/desk height to the top. Or regular windows + clerestory windows above. But floor to ceiling just limits what you can do without basically wrapping the place in curtains.
Although the Banner Lofts are a great example of awesome floor-to-ceiling windows that emphasize the double-height units.
5 Ming // Apr 3, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Those balconies are an eyesore. It completely destroys the aesthetics of the otherwise clean exterior.
6 Jamil // Apr 3, 2008 at 12:38 pm
33 units sold as of 3/30/08.
7 Chris // Apr 3, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Jamil,
Assuming your selling on the site, what you project your monthly absorption will be from here on out? (units/month). thanks
8 EconE // Apr 3, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Looks nice.
I don’t really mind the “balconies” as it’s nice to feel as if you are standing outside. I’d go crazy in a building with no deck.
9 jo // Apr 3, 2008 at 3:46 pm
i’d rather have a full size balcony personally (duh)…but these juliets are betting than nothing.
many people put flowers and plants on them which look nice from the inside of the unit as well as the pedestrian view
10 PistolPete // Apr 3, 2008 at 4:43 pm
those are really barracaded fencing in case the homeowner has buyers remorse and decides to jump later on :) hahhaa
11 Jason // Apr 3, 2008 at 7:05 pm
I actually think those juliet windows are cooler than extremely small decks. If the deck isn’t big enough for two adirondack chairs (not that I’d want those in an urban setting necessarily but thats just my unit of measure for a deck you’d actually use as a “room”), I think forgoing it and having a juliet “balcony” is actually way hipper. Those dinky iron-railing balconies that are only big enough for two people to stand just seem hotely to me.
12 Paul // Apr 4, 2008 at 6:22 am
Im in agreement with jason - I actually prefer the idea of being able to open up the inside to outside, than some silly 1-foot deck that serves no purpose.
That being said, I wish developers would go all the way and integrate large rolling garage style doors (see boom noodle, union lofts, etc) or a full wall of opening french doors / concertina style doors instead of just a cheap slider - but then of course no developer is going to bump the construction cost on a mid-range condo project like that…
13 jcricket // Apr 4, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I just saw a floor plan on one of the Trace Loft units that has a “loft” (style) space above the bathroom + closets. Actually not that bad. If you put a ladder up there and knocked down the non load-bearing wall between the living room and “bedroom” you’d have a really nice large living space.
Closets seemed tiny and the weird “create” (den? 2nd bedroom? storage?) space when you walk still seemed like bad space planning.
14 David // Apr 4, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I did a walk through of Trace North a couple of weeks ago. The finishes are very basic. It feels like an apartment complex and will not age very well in common areas, etc.
15 Jason // Apr 4, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Let me also say I’m impressed with how the outside look of Trace North came out.
16 Jamil // Apr 4, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Chris, I am not a selling at the site. I produce a bi-weekly condo market report, and that was the number they reported for that week. However based on the numbers since they started selling, Trace North has had an absorption rate of 3.3 condos a month; whereas the rest of the area (MLS area 390) has averaged an absorption rate just above 4 condos per month. So I would say somewhere in that vicinity.
17 vc // Apr 5, 2008 at 8:39 pm
reminds me a bit of my dream building (the sky lofts at 145 hudson st. in manhattan):
http://www.145hudson.com/#/HOME/
The metal safety grates are indeed ugly up close, but from afar they make the windows appear textured/paned in an attractive way.
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