Student Work

Course Description

Beloved Community

Student: Ebubechi Abonyi
Studio: ARCH 400/ ARCH 506/ URBAN 508 — Rachel Berney, Donald King, Rico Quirindongo — Fall 2025
Location: Seattle, Washington

Project Description

This urban design project reimagines a shared block in Seattle’s Rainier Valley as a “beloved community” rooted in affordability, preservation, and collective belonging. Located in a historically Black, Indigenous, and people of color neighborhood facing rapid gentrification and displacement, the proposal focuses on creating long-term stability for congregations and residents through thoughtful infill development. Rather than replacing existing structures, the design preserves the four church buildings already embedded in the community, recognizing them as cultural anchors and places of trust.

New affordable housing for congregants is woven into the block alongside shared community spaces that encourage gathering, support, and everyday interaction. The spatial organization draws inspiration from the surrounding valley landscape, guiding people inward through layered pedestrian pathways and landscaped circulation routes. These pathways gradually open toward a central communal space designed to foster connection and shared identity. By blending housing, worship, and public gathering into a cohesive environment, the project demonstrates how urban design can resist displacement while strengthening the social and cultural fabric of the neighborhood.

Images from Beloved Community.