Start Up: Reinventing the Live/Work High Rise to Foster the Incubation + Growth of Seattle's Startups

Abstract

Problem The current live/work typologies create isolation and do not address the needs of Seattle’s growing number of freelancers,entrepreneurs, and startups whose success depends on interaction, affordable living, and small scale office space. What ought to be In many surrounding neighborhoods small scale coworking office spaces, live/work apartments, and startup incubators have found success. Thesis Proposition A live/cowork/interact high rise in Belltown Seattle could provide affordable spaces for entrepreneurs and startups. By using coworking office space and an incubator equity model to subsidize rental costs for apartments, this thesis aims to redefine the live/work typology to create a community of collaboration through interaction that fosters the success of existing small businesses and conceives new startups.