Places We Keep: Early Apartment Buildings on Capitol Hill

Places We Keep, my Senior BFA thesis project that extended beyond my graduation, documented early to mid-century apartments on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Most of these buildings still stand but others have been razed amidst Seattle’s demolition & construction boom, sometimes weeks or months since I photographed them. These buildings, however, are nothing less than this city’s architectural and cultural heritage, and I am saving them on film even if I cannot save them from demolition.

Beyond visual documentation, a great way to participate in urban planning for Capitol Hill (and a few other Seattle neighborhoods) is to provide in-person or electronic feedback on design proposals for new buildings. These resources will help you stay up to date on neighborhood developments:

• City of Seattle Land Use Public Notices. Sign up for their mailing list to receive notifications of proposed development.
• Design Review Calendar. See the design review meeting schedule, view and read developers’ proposals, plan to attend in person, or submit comments via email to the city planner. It does make a difference.

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