Seasonal Farmworker Housing is located in a rural area in Burlington, Washington, rich with farmlands. The project was designed to honor the Housing Authority of Skagit County’s (HASC) mission to provide dignified shelter to a traditionally underrepresented demographic. To foster both a healthy environment and community atmosphere among residents, the site design provides well-lit outdoor play spaces and sidewalks; a community room with laundry, office, and storage areas; and easy access to public transportation. In addition to providing ethical housing, the project goals included affordable, sustainable, and energy efficient units that adapt easily to the specific requirements of each farmworker. Energy-saving systems; low-impact building materials; and water conservation, including the use of native and adaptive landscaping are among the features that gave this project both Enterprise Green Building Communities (EGC) and Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard (ESDS) ratings.
A key design priority was to create housing that feels like home, without sacrificing some of the necessary components found in bunkhouses. The architecture pays homage to pleasing residential forms and connects with the outdoors by providing views of the surrounding open landscape and play areas. Living spaces on the fully accessible site include three two-story townhouses and a one-story duplex designed for universal access. The simple interiors are clean and bright and left neutral, to allow residents to provide their own aesthetics.