The site of a troubled motel has been transformed into an urban village with 171 affordable units in Bellingham, Washington.
Local officials were exploring condemning the aging Aloha Motel, when the Bellingham Housing Authority (BHA) began to strategize a plan to redevelop the 1.5-acre property on the edge of downtown.
Project Details
Location: Bellingham, Washington
Developer: Bellingham Housing Authority
Architect: RMC Architects
Builder: Dawson Construction
Interior Designer: Katherine Jansen
Completed: October 2023
Number of Units: 171
Unit Mix: Studio to three-bedrooms
Rents: $550 to $1,650
BHA teamed with the architects at RMC to create Samish Commons, which has three new buildings to serve a diverse mix of residents. There’s a seven-story structure, with mostly one-bedroom units for low-income seniors. A five-story building serves families, with mostly two- and three-bedroom units. The third building, which includes five townhomes, provides housing for the local workforce and individuals who were formerly unhoused.
In addition to the housing, the site is home to BHA’s new offices and an early learning center for residents and the wider community.
The site plan intentionally organizes the buildings to form a landscaped courtyard at its core for all residents to gather and to promote kinship. Placing the development to meet the street provided an opportunity to shield the parking structure by wrapping the building around it, shifting the focus from cars to pedestrians.
Benjamin Benschneider
“We’re proud of the community-centric nature of this project,” says Robert Wright, associate at RMC Architects. “It began with the housing authority’s vision, and with support from the city and neighborhood, this project exceeded expectations about how affordable housing could lead the transformation of an entire neighborhood.”
To encourage walkability, sidewalks and greenspaces within the project were planned to connect easily to the commercial district, downtown, and the Sehome Arboretum located within the neighborhood.
As a finishing touch, the old motel’s iconic neon sign, a favorite sight of passersby, was restored and reinstalled on the property.