

If you live in Seattle (or any city, really), you know how long it takes to building an apartment building from the ground up. It's a process that takes years. Well, the plan for 'N' Habit: Belltown, a 49-unit complex at 2216 Third Ave., is to have the entire project done in a mere seven months.

The key? Modular development, which basically breaks down a structure into sections or pieces that are then placed onto the building's foundation.

The building will feature studio and townhouse-style apartment homes ranging from 422-752 sq. ft., as well as 3,000 sq. ft. of ground-level retail. Each apartment will include "Abodian Walls™," two-sided walls with "a put-away desk/table/counter and storage on the kitchen side and a Murphy bed/closets and storage on the opposite side."

Jim Daly, managing member at developer Daly Partners, explains the walls further...

"The Abodian Wall™ enables residents to transform the kitchen from a work space to a dining space in just minutes. As we were designing this project we found ourselves thinking—what if the desk/counter/table could disappear when you weren't using it? What if we used a Murphy bed on the other side that, when raised, the tenant could 'recapture' significant floor area? How could we make the kitchen more useable and flexible? Before long, we realized we had a totally new concept—and we ran with it." Other building features will include 3,000 square-feet of street-level retail, a rooftop deck and 11-inch think apartment walls for privacy. Along with more photos, check out a video illustrating how the building will come together after the jump.