Station 162 is a transit-oriented affordable housing project, providing 44 highly accessible residential units for a unique blend of low income adults with severe physical disabilities and other senior/workforce tenants. The project’s developer, QUAD, Inc., owner of several similar facilities, has a history of serving adults in wheelchairs who have limited upper body strength and arm/hand function, requiring 24-hour availability of personal assistance, but who otherwise live independently.  

The facility is a single four-story wood-framed structure, with ten to twelve units on each floor. The building is L-shaped, enclosing a southern garden court with parking tucked in the rear of the site. The building fronts onto 162nd Avenue, locating the front door, offices, and community room addressing this neighborhood’s main street. The large, southern courtyard contains a variety of accessible hardscaped areas, several types of gardens and raised planters, and large trees to provide shade and privacy for the south-facing units.  

The architecture of the building uses a mixture of three-dimensional massing projections, material textures and colors, and landscaping to create a lively but cohesive appearance, appropriate to its context on 162nd Avenue. The length of the building is broken up by projecting portions of the housing units, and articulating the large life-safety features of the building. Large windows and sunshades emphasize the structural rhythm of the building, set within a mix of textured and smooth cementitious cladding, each within a rainscreen assembly. Ground level common areas, entrances, and other accent zones are identified with color.   Station 162 is intended to serve as a national model, combining affordable, accessible housing with in-house and community-based supportive services. Its goal is to provide a workable, affordable model to serve the needs of disabled and senior tenants who want and deserve a new alternative to traditional care settings. This facility builds upon QUAD, Inc.’s extensive experience in promoting autonomy, self-direction, and independence for an amazing population of tenants.