Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1257023
Lakefish points out that creating outdoor space is more than just building a pocket park—it's creating a space residents will use throughout the year. Picture trails and walking paths, sports areas and games like bocce ball and ping pong, play structures for the kids, fire pits, pea patches, and more. Amenities can even be as simple as Adirondack chairs, arranged to make the most of sweeping views of Mount Rainier. Oakpointe also emphasizes listening to residents on what is important to them, then finding ways to include popular elements in future outdoor spaces. Missing Middle: The Best of Both Worlds As consumers embrace smaller homes close to jobs and amenities, many builders are moving away from larger properties. "Ten years ago," says Nunes, "many builders were focusing on how large their homes were, but now they can't build small homes fast enough. They're buying land in strategic locations, anchoring them to transit, and they're selling like hotcakes." That model means the return to "missing middle" housing— duplexes, triplexes, townhouses, and cottages. "I think we're going to see more missing middle in cities like Kirkland and Seattle. Codes and zoning are changing." With missing middle housing, you can fit more units on a single lot without radically changing the character of a neighborhood. "It's the best of both worlds. You don't have somebody living above you, but It's more than just building a pocket park— it's creating a space that includes amenities residents will use throughout the year. JON LAKEFISH, Oakpointe Communities you might have a couple neighbors on one or both sides. You're closer in without losing the neighborhood feel." Denser housing types and nearby amenities also make a broader range of transportation options feasible. Nunes is fascinated by the transformation brought by transit and transit-oriented development, especially around light rail. It's changing neighborhood dynamics and demographics. People want to live near transit and will pay for it, and not just those in urban cores. Newer planned communities like Ten Trails blend single-family homes, duplexes, and townhomes, along with retail, making car travel for errands or recreation an option, not a necessity. The same Oakpointe's Ten Trails Community includes two large community parks, Civic Park and Village Green, with a wide range of amenities for all ages. 47 SUMMER 2020 | master BUILDER