Why we design commercial mixed-use apartments in the Pacific Northwest

Propel Studio strives to deliver carefully crafted and beautiful mixed-use developments. As a local commercial & multifamily architect, we are inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest context in which we design, inspired by the unique characteristics of each neighborhood, the vision of our clients, and the opportunity to enhance lives & communities.

Propel Studio starts each design by understanding the context in which new commercial mixed use apartments will be built.  Our goal is to make each project uniquely suited to the urban context, environment and landscape.  Being in the Pacific Northwest, we must design to address the unique aspects of our climate and varied weather patterns.

Commercial multifamily apartments in the Pacific Northwest shouldn’t have a set style and as we start conceptualizing design, neither do we. Instead style is derived over time after thoroughly understanding the site, programming, planning requirements, and the unique needs of our clients. This forms the foundation of our design work and we then develop a project that responds specifically to these many influences. 

This includes addressing the winter rains, the moderate springs and falls, the beautiful (although increasingly hot) summers, and of course the beautiful light that changes with each season. We design each commercial mixed-use project to be high-performance, integrating the need for climate control and standing up to the elements, all while creating a comfortable and efficient indoor environment. We look for ways to connect to the surroundings through window placement, providing a variety of outdoor spaces like balconies, covered outdoor kitchens, rooftop decks and patios, community courtyards, and commercial-grade operable door systems that can make interior rooms transform to become extensions of the outdoors. 

The importance of this indoor/outdoor connection mirrors our belief that our beautiful PNW environment holds immense power to comfort and free the mind.  We are committed to making architecture that has a minimal impact on our environment through our holistic approach to sustainability.

To us, the beauty of each of our projects lives in the materials and the details. We always strive to celebrate the inherent beauty in high quality materials. Quality, durability, and high-performance is at the forefront of our minds when designing and selecting finishes, fixtures and other materials for each project. We look at the life-cycle costs as we design, balancing the upfront budget with the ongoing cost of energy, water use and maintenance. 

This approach sets Propel Studio apart from other commercial mixed-use architects. Each of our projects are unique. We experiment with forms, materials, and technology to ensure each project responds to the client’s needs while creating inspiring and beautiful architecture.

Are you ready to start a commercial mixed-use development? We’d be happy to discuss your vision and share our approach & process.

Please contact us if you are considering a new development in the Pacific Northwest. For more details on Propel’s role as a mixed-use apartment architect on other multifamily work, please visit this page.