Ellie Passivhaus

Nominated by: Sound West Group
Location: Seattle, WA
Developer: Sound West Group
Architect: Balance Architects
General Contractor: Cascade Built
Interior Designer: A3 Associates, PLLC
Project Website: lifeatellie.com

Project Statement

Ellie Passivhaus is the third multifamily Passivhaus to open in Seattle and the largest to date. The project is a Passive house design, considered a higher standard of building than LEED. The community is a 66-unit, seven-story urban infill apartment project located in the heart of lower Queen Anne, recently renamed Uptown.

Ellie is located in one of Seattle’s oldest and most desirable neighborhoods, near the base of the newly renovated Space Needle; Climate Pledge Arena, the most progressive, responsible and sustainable arena in the world; and the 74-acre Seattle Center, an active arts, entertainment and tourist hub. The site is walking distance to Seattle’s most well-known landmarks, parks and city vistas. Its central location surrounded by Queen Anne, Belltown, South Lake Union and downtown make it an easy commute to Seattle’s top employment tech bases. There is a bus stop right in front of the building, a brand-new dedicated bike lane, and it is a short walk to the monorail that connects to the light rail.

This design lowers total energy consumption up to 64% compared to the national average and provides a healthier quality of life to the residents through constant supply of filtered fresh air. The Ellie Passivhaus project was 39% above the Priority Green requirement for Seattle’s permit process. Solar panels installed on the roof offset the buildings energy use by 15%.

Ellie Passivhaus provides a unique sustainable opportunity for market-rate rental housing that promotes a healthy and conscious lifestyle, and is setting the stage for the responsible way to build and live. Ellie Passivhaus is on track to receive the green certification of PHIUS+, the largest Passive Building Certification in North America.