June 16, 2026
SMR Architects joined DESC and project partners this week to celebrate the grand opening of Birch Grove, a new 120-unit permanent supportive housing community in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood. The development provides stable, service-enriched homes for single adults experiencing chronic homelessness and living with severe and persistent mental health conditions.
Birch Grove transforms a former car dealership site into a green, human-scaled residence anchored by a revegetated landscape and protected central courtyard. Grounded in trauma-informed design, the building features calming colors, welcoming shared spaces, and carefully studied circulation, along with Pacific Northwest–inspired wood accents and a sloped parapet that animates its street-facing facade. Sustainable systems including heat pump water heaters and centralized energy recovery ventilation helped the project achieve Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard (ESDS) 4.1 performance. The project is named in honor of Helen Birch, a longtime client and community member whose journey from street outreach to permanent housing shaped the design brief.
SMR Architects thanks all project team partners for their collaboration on this vital community resource. More information on Birch Grove is available here.
