Piecing Together the 47+7 Puzzle

The 47+7 project, located in the University District, is not your typical apartment building. Built to be unlike anything in Seattle, Sellen worked together with the owner, Sustainable Living Innovations, and the architect, CollinsWoerman, to deliver the unique residential building.

The team relied heavily on prefabrication to achieve substantial cost and schedule savings throughout the project. The team crafted a “kit of parts,” including wall panels with pre-installed electrical and plumbing components, at an off-site warehouse. These parts were then delivered to the job site, assembled and securely attached to the structure. This approach reduced material waste, cut down the construction schedule and created a safer working environment.

The six-story building features 24 units, each with high-end finishes not often found in apartment buildings such as floor-to-ceiling windows. In addition, 47+7 is highly sustainability with solar panels that heat much of the building’s water and ultra-efficient appliances and fixtures. The result is a visually striking building, built with an accelerated schedule and that was ready to perform at a high level from day one.