Gainsborough

Seattle, WA
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Project Keywords: Affordable, Community, Housing, Midrise, Public, Seattle, Senior
  • Size 56-units, 14-stories
  • Completion 2025
  • Owner Gainsborough Condominium Association
  • Services Provided Construction Management, Building Enclosure Consulting
  • Photography Khoi Ly
The Gainsborough is a 14-storey reinforced concrete condominium building located on First Hill in Seattle, originally constructed in 1930 and designed by architect Earle W. Morrison in the French Chateauesque style. The building is recognized as a Seattle historical site and features distinctive light-colored brick cladding, a stone base, ornate terra cotta detailing, and a steeply pitched roofline. Converted to condominiums in 1980, the 56-unit building remains a well-maintained example of Seattle's 1920s apartment building boom.

The Gainsborough Condominium Association engaged RDH to provide both design and construction management services for a comprehensive roof rehabilitation. RDH Building Science served as Designer and RDH Construction Management handled all construction activities, including contracting with trades, managing the schedule, approving change orders, and overseeing all on-site work.

The scope focused on replacing the existing masonry roof tiles with an architectural metal shingle system better suited to long-term performance. Low-slope roof sections received an SBS overlay, and an elastomeric coating was applied to existing stucco in the roof areas. Targeted sealant renewal was also completed throughout. Additional scope included terra cotta reset and tuckpointing work at the gable ends, carefully executed to respect the building’s historic character.

The project was designed and sequenced to maintain the building’s historic architectural integrity throughout construction.

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