It’s common to hear about population growth in warm-weather states like Florida and Arizona, but those certainly aren’t the only regions seeing an influx of new residents. The Olympia, Wash., area south of Seattle has seen steady growth the past couple decades, and its suburb of Lacey is one example.
The city’s population is up 40% since 2010, according to U.S. Census figures, driven by tech industry growth as well as nearby Joint Base Lewis-McChord. New residents mean new housing, including the 188-unit Karlo Apartments, with a design that brings the popular modern farmhouse look to multifamily living – including a signature standing-seam metal roof.
The project is located in a master-planned community within Lacey called Hawks Prairie and offers the kind of amenities active renters look for, including a clubhouse with a fitness center, basketball and pickleball courts and a play area for pets. The exterior incorporates a number of farmhouse-style elements to add warmth to what can be a more institutional-looking building type. These touches also add a patina of age and history to a development that’s totally up-to-date inside.
Classic wooden board-and-batten siding clads the building, adding rural texture, and the windows are outlined in black trim, another key farmhouse element. A standing-seam metal roof system atop the clubhouse that serves as the development’s entry hearkens back to the barns of the region’s original settlers. Designers with Olympia-based Wedgwood Architectural Services, along with installation pros from Chinook Building Envelope Systems, based in Fife, Wash., opted for PAC-CLAD Snap-Clad panels from Petersen for the clubhouse’s roof. In all, 8,800 sq. ft. of the panels were fabricated from 24-gauge steel in the company’s Matte Black finish. These panels pair a high aesthetic appeal with proven performance, thanks to a factory-applied sealant to aid weather resistance.
