Pax Futura

Washington’s first certified Passive House apartment building and winner of the 2020 PHIUS Multifamily Design Competition.

Role: Project Architect & Designer

Phases of Involvement: Feasibility through Construction Completion (2018)


Located in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood, Pax Futura will be the city’s first Passive House-constructed multi-family apartment building. Residents will benefit from continuous, filtered fresh air for improved health, draft-free thermal comfort, increased quiet and security, and dramatically reduced energy use – up to 90% less energy for heating and cooling.

Embracing a simple modern design, the building’s natural color palette is accented with metal canopy signage and sliding wood screening elements to create a dynamic facade. A courtyard activates the east facade with circulation, bench overlooks, vertical landscape, and screen elements.

The dwelling units are a mix of small efficiencies, studios, and one-bedroom units with flexible floorplans that allow walls to be removed to create larger units as market demands evolve. Corner retail and live/work spaces with mezzanines provide added neighborhood activities and amenities.

Designed to achieve the rigorous Passive House building energy standard and Built Green 4-star certification, Pax Futura employs pared-down mechanical systems, superior insulation, no-VOC finishes, and natural bioretention planters to manage stormwater onsite. The sliding screens will shield units from west-facing solar exposure, keeping them cool during warm months.

Residents will enjoy common entertainment spaces, including an amenity room, courtyard, and retail patio, which connect the pedestrian experience to the project’s live/work and commercial spaces.