Site Report 1 (final)

Seattle Home - Joseph Koch Block 9

Verve Flats - Joseph Koch Block 9

Seattle Brick Home - Joseph Koch Block 9

On first arrival at my block, it appeared to be a run down residential street.  I could not tell if it was student housing or long-term residents but after walking to the end I saw a modern looking apartment building.  My block had a really interesting mix of newer and recently built structures and some that seemed to have been there for a long time.  I think that this is a sign of the mass development that is occurring all over Seattle.  Given the blocks relative closeness to University Way, or “The Ave”, it makes for a convenient residency for families and students alike.   Although its obvious this street is being used to help with the housing crisis, in comparison to a lot of other parts of Seattle, the houses are much more spread apart and less densely packed on the block.  Seeing a tall apartment building right next to an older home that hasn’t been updated in a very long time shows what is to come, and I believe that very soon all of the smaller homes on my block will be developed into these larger apartment buildings.  Seattle’s immense growth in the past decade has caused a need for more and more housing, and as people flock to the city every year, development is going to keep increasing.  The location of my block, near The University’s current West Campus dorms, makes me think that at some point it will completely be student housing.  The University Of Washington has had more and more people applying each year, and growth like this is necessary to accommodate everyone.  Single-family housing is unaffordable for most making the move to the city because of the high demand and competitiveness in the housing market.  Student housing tends to be very affordable, and the more apartment and multi tenant housing units that are built, the living costs will lower due to more people occupying one plot of land.