CHARTER HOUSE APARTMENTS REHABILITATION

community architecture — affordable housing — pacific northwest design — renovation

VASHON ISLAND, WASHINGTON

Charter House is a 9-unit apartment building built in 1970. It is reserved for low-income seniors and people with disabilities; all residents are eligible to receive monthly rental assistance from the USDA Rural Housing Program. Fifty years of deferred maintenance had left the building with significant safety, accessibility, and building envelope issues, including failed interior roof drains and an exterior access balcony on the verge of collapse. CAST worked with non-profit housing provider Vashon Household to develop the project and break it into three phases to leverage available funding sources. Addressing immediate needs was paired with developing a complete Capital Needs Analysis to help Vashon Household understand anticipated maintenance costs over the next twenty years.

Phase 1 focused on repairs to the building envelope and increasing energy efficiency. A complete roof replacement used increased insulation depth to redirect water to external downspouts. The new crawlspace vapor barrier and floor insulation had an immediate impact on the comfort and electricity usage of the first-floor units.

Phase 2 - the largest of the three phases - replaced the existing exterior access balconies with individual entry stairs at some units, and a simplified access balcony at the higher north end of the building. Additional exit stairs were added to the rear of the building, providing a second means of egress for every unit. New stairs are constructed of hard-wearing, low-maintenance composite materials; they add ADA-compliant handrails and slip-resistant walking surfaces. Replacing the bulky timber walkway with glass handrails greatly increases the amount of natural light reaching lower-floor units.

Phase 3 includes the complete remodel of one unit to provide a Type-A accessible unit; along with a comprehensive energy and water efficiency upgrade of existing lighting and plumbing fixtures. Phase 3 also includes the replacement of some aging flooring and other finishes.

Green Design: Reuse/renovation - captured embodied carbon in existing construction, energy efficiency upgrades