This Urban Tree House Is Upping Seattle’s Apartment Game
The first community tree house opens its doors to residents at South Lake Union's Sitka Apartments
By Sydney Gladu August 29, 2019
This article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the September 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.
Picture your childhood tree house. Now, scratch the rope ladder and add a fireplace, kitchenette and living roof. Perched 20 feet above street level in South Lake Union, the Island Treehouse is a grown-up version of that childhood hideout: a unique 235-square-foot communal space at Sitka Apartments (1255 Harrison St.; 206.466.2432), a 384-unit complex that welcomed its first residents last November. The rustic, wilderness-inspired tree house structure, decked in wood paneling and accessible via a skybridge, was designed by Daniel Mihalyo of Seattle’s Lead Pencil Studio, who says it’s the first community tree house in an apartment complex. Unfortunately, it’s only open to residents and their guests—no interlopers allowed.
Follow Us
Picture Perfect, Inside and Out
The Friedman home serves as a rotating art gallery
"Canoe Trails Residence” is a home art gallery designed with velvet gloves and without velvet ropes. For decades, Ken and Jane Friedman have been serious curators and creators of art. Jane formerly co-owned Friedman Oens Gallery on Bainbridge Island, acquiring notable pieces from around the Northwest and world. Their collection includes...
PCF Wins Prestigious Remodeler’s Award
PCF Construction Group nabs awards for excellence and integrity
[addtoany]People Come First (PCF) Construction Group has been building dream outdoor living spaces for homeowners across the Pacific Northwest for more than 15 years. The Kent-based builder was named National Remodeler of the Year by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in 2023, and a National Finalist in 2024. “Receiving the Remodeler of the…
Small-Scale Sensitivity
Whole-house renovation respects the aesthetics of its Capitol Hill neighborhood
Miriam Larson founded Story Architecture in the belief that, if she dug deep enough, each house and the family that lives in it would have a story to tell. In time, she would also conclude that some books are perfectly happy to be judged by their covers.