studio nocturne

skyline divide

The Skyline Divide is an adaptive reuse project that transforms a long-vacant historic bank in downtown Ferndale into a vibrant mixed-use, middle housing development. By pairing middle housing principles with a mass timber rooftop addition, the project reinvents an underutilized structure as a catalyst for community revitalization in Whatcom County. It also offers a replicable model for towns and small cities across Western Washington.

The project reimagines the “Neighborhood Commercial” or “Corner Store” model recently promoted by the Washington State Department of Commerce. Traditionally, this model brings shops and services into residential neighborhoods; here, the idea is inverted by bringing family-scale housing back into the town center. In doing so, The Skyline Divide addresses a critical regional challenge: the lack of attainable urban housing for growing families, which forces many to relocate to the suburbs—weakening downtown vitality and fueling car-dependent sprawl.

Location
Program
Area
Year
Sponsor

Ferndale, WA
Adaptive Reuse Missing Middle Housing
6,400 s.f.
2025
Whatcom Housing Alliance

15805 70th Ave Ne,
Kenmore, WA 98028

+1.206.390.6203
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