Yobi Micro-Apartments maybe the last Congregate Housing allowed in Seattle

Built Green 4 Star

The building is designed with a high performance exterior envelope using blown-in-blanket and spray foam insulation. According to Neiman’s blog “the project has an energy use budget that is 60% of what is required under the current energy code.”

Yobi has an Energy Use Intensity of 38, but considering each unit is less than 280 sf the energy use per unit is only 10.8.  Average energy use per unit of a typical apartment building is 32. Neiman notes the energy efficiency of Yobi’s individual units as using roughly a third of the energy of a typical apartment building.  Yobi apartments adopted IBC building recommendations for minimum size apartments, utilizing the 7 foot circle for minimum room dimensions in several units.

These units were built in the style of a “ship’s cabin with snug dimensions and lots of built in amenities,” according to Neiman.  Built with 45 units consisting of 147-288 sq/ft each, Yobi provides a dense urban living experience with a smaller footprint than other market options. Units include lofted beds, built-in cabinets for clothing and linen storage, kitchenettes with spaces for mini refrigerator, and some units include sliding glass doors with south-facing mini-decks behind the building.

Where each individual unit is micro, each floor has its own shared central kitchen and larger communal amenities on the ground floor where neighbors share a larger space.  Seattle University signed a master lease on the building  and it serves as a dormitory for students at the University.

David Neiman, of Neiman Taber Architects, set out to design a micro project that was innovative and different from the micro projects that came before. The project represents a unique approach to micro-housing that emphasizes small affordable units paired with generous common amenities arranged to foster social interaction among residents. Focusing on making common spaces that facilitate “chance encounters” between residents, Neiman strove to create a community not just another apartment building.

Plans started in 2012 for the project. Neiman had the daunting task of creating micro-housing that was livable and also met Built Green 4 star standards. The Marion Microhousing project, later renamed Yobi apartments, applied for permitting on November 12, 2013 and the permit was issued May 22, 2014.

There is motivation to build congregate housing on both sides– for the builder and the tenant. Congregate housing provides alternative living options for singles in Seattle. The average rent for a studio in the Capitol Hill neighborhood ranges from $1,400 to $1,800. Congregate housing, by contrast, typically rents for around $1,000/mo . Student’s living in Yobi also enjoy the benefits and amenities of campus dwelling including security personnel and a walkable commute to the campus.

This project would not be permitted by SDCI today. In 2014, the city council passed new restrictions that effectively banned congregate housing in low-rise zones. Additionally, in 2016 SDCI introduced new interpretations on the building code minimum room dimension requirements the make it impossible to building small efficient rooms with generous built-in furnishings like those in the Yobi.These policy changes are rationalized largely in paternalistic terms, for example as protections that promote public safety and human dignity, despite the lack of support for these positions from fire officials and the public health literature. Micro Housing is a potentially important tool in meeting our demand for urban housing that enables Seattle to attain its residential density goals, reduce suburban sprawl, and make the resources of the city more available to all people, but it remains a politically thorny issue.

• Seattle Building Code Section 1208 (pg. 7)
• Director's Rule 7-2016

• web6.seattle.gov_DPD_PermitStatus_Project.pdf

• YOBI APARTMENTS
• How Seattle Killed Micro-housing, Again