At Momentum, a new multifamily community in Covington, Washington, ownership revised the clubhouse program after framing had already set the building envelope. Evolving economic conditions led ownership to fold the leasing office into a building planned solely for resident amenities, so the design of the same two floors now had to support leasing operations alongside space for residents to work, entertain, and gather.
Color Works Design joined the project at that stage, with interior design, exterior design and paint color, FF&E, project management, and custom art in its scope, and completed the clubhouse in October 2026. The floor plates and the open volume between levels could not move, so the team treated them as givens and focused on how much function and form the existing structure could still deliver.
The approach came down to prioritization, built outward from the people who would use the building. Prospects needed a clear leasing experience the moment they walked in, and residents needed amenities worth using long after the leasing team left for the day. Every placement decision followed from those two sets of needs.
What changes when the program shifts after framing?
After framing, the space plan has to resolve the new program inside fixed conditions, which moves most of the design effort toward placement and adjacency. At Momentum, those fixed conditions set the boundaries, and the restroom had to stay where it was to serve the outdoor amenities. The team’s decisions centered on which activities belonged on each floor and how they related to one another.
Fitting leasing offices onto the main level meant reworking much of the original amenity plan. The kitchen moved upstairs, and the fitness center gave up square footage to make room. A building once allocated entirely to resident amenities now had to justify every square foot against two programs, so the team reorganized around traffic flow from the front entrance and how noise would carry between levels. Business stayed downstairs with a touch of entertainment, and the party moved upstairs.
The late start also compressed the schedule, so the team settled placement early and held those decisions through construction.
How did Color Works organize leasing and resident spaces?
Color Works built the plan around leasing first, placing the leasing offices directly beside the entrance and arranging every other space around that decision. Prospects meet the leasing team as soon as they arrive, and the remaining program on both floors takes its position from that starting point.
The sitting area and beverage bar on the ground floor serve two audiences at once. Prospects use them during tours, and residents use them as part of their everyday routine, which keeps leasing conversations in a social setting and gives prospects an early sense of the clubhouse as residents experience it.
The second floor holds the larger resident amenities. A full kitchen and dining areas support resident events, while televisions, recreation, and tucked-in seating groups give the level several ways to function on an ordinary evening. Two enclosed resident offices complete the upper floor and give residents a weekday reason to use the clubhouse, with glass doors that keep the rooms visually connected to the surrounding space.
What role does a signature fixture play on a leasing tour?
A signature fixture gives the eye a place to rest, and on a leasing tour that focal point shapes what prospects remember about the building. At Momentum, the management team reports the lighting as one of the features prospects respond to most consistently.
A porcupine quill chandelier introduces texture at the entry. The second fixture responds to the architecture. The opening between the first and second floors called for something that would connect the two levels and bring drama to the space, so the team specified a fixture that cascades from the second story toward the first beside the fireplace. It draws the eye up to the building’s full height and builds curiosity about what sits above, which gives the leasing team a natural lead-in for taking prospects upstairs. For residents, the fixture gives the clubhouse its sparkle and shows that a building working within tight constraints can still deliver a moment of real beauty.
“This light fixture remains a guest favorite, consistently generating positive feedback during tours. People love it!” Astrid Black, Property Manager
How do finishes keep two programs reading as one building?
A consistent color story across both floors holds the building together, while the application of finishes adjusts to how each space is used. At Momentum, that color story started outside. The exterior palette was dramatic, and the team carried its mood indoors through blacks, caramels, charcoals, and cabernet tones.
Finish selection then followed traffic. The leasing area takes the heaviest daily use and calls for more durable finishes, while the amenity spaces allow more flexibility because they need to feel like a living room and an extension of residents’ own units. Ownership selected polished concrete for the ground floor, a cost-effective surface that holds up well in the Pacific Northwest climate, and LVP carries the upper level.
Repeated materials tie the two programs together. Backsplash tile introduces a reflective accent at the downstairs beverage bar and again in the upstairs kitchen, while custom art and coordinated FF&E carry through the rest of the building. Large windows on both levels keep the operational and recreational spaces equally bright, so a prospect touring the second floor experiences the same building they entered downstairs.
What should ownership settle before changing a building’s program?
Ownership should decide which program takes priority at the front door and what the existing structure can absorb before approving the change. At Momentum, those answers set where leasing sat and which amenities justified their footprint upstairs. They also determine how much schedule the change consumes, a variable that becomes harder to recover once construction is underway.
For 2027 projects still being defined, the more useful lesson concerns timing. Bringing the design team to the table before the structure is set keeps more options open when ownership’s priorities shift.
A program change during construction isn’t ideal, but it can absolutely work when you start with the end users and what they need and want. Build into that and watch it come to life. There will be tradeoffs, but they don’t have to be noticeable, and you can still finish with a building that delivers both form and function. Katie Decker Erickson, Principal, Color Works Design
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If your property’s program is changing, or a 2027 project needs to serve more than one purpose, let’s talk through what the building can support.
