What exterior changes offer the best return for multifamily properties?

Lighting and plantings, consistently. Lighting delivers immediate visible impact and creates safety and warmth that residents respond to. Plantings compound — they improve year over year if selected correctly. Both are lower cost than structural changes and more visible in day-to-day use.

How does the exterior design of a clubhouse affect leasing conversions?

The tour begins at arrival, not at the leasing office door. Prospective tenants are evaluating the community throughout the tour. A well-maintained, well-lit, inviting exterior signals that management invests in the property and takes pride in the community. That converts.

What landscape species work best for Pacific Northwest commercial exteriors?

Species that perform under low light, handle wet winters, and maintain form without excessive pruning. We work with a landscape consultant to specify plants by their actual growth habit and maintenance requirements. Decorative selections that require intensive maintenance are a liability for multifamily properties.

Portfolio · Bellevue, Washington

The Face of the Building, Bellevue Clubhouse

Clubhouse Exterior
Exterior Design
Bellevue
Landscape Architecture

A clubhouse exterior redesigned to do what a facade should: make an arrival feel like an arrival.

The Bellevue Clubhouse exterior brief was about first impressions — and second ones, and the daily one for residents who pass through every day. The building’s face had fallen behind the interior upgrades. The goal was to close that gap: bring the exterior up to the same standard as what was happening inside.

The redesign addresses the full exterior envelope — facade materiality, entry sequence, outdoor amenity zones, and landscaping. The swing area, the outdoor lounge, the water feature — each is a destination that earns its square footage in the outdoor program.

Bellevue Clubhouse side view exterior — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Bellevue Clubhouse outdoor amenity area — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Bellevue Clubhouse outdoor space design — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Designed for Daily Life Outside

Outdoor amenity design works when residents choose to use it — not because it’s there, but because it’s better than staying inside. The Bellevue Clubhouse outdoor zones were designed around that standard. Comfortable seating that works in Pacific Northwest conditions. A water feature that gives the space acoustic texture. Landscaping that provides privacy without enclosure.

The facade materiality was updated to align with the building’s renovated interior identity. Consistent material language across inside and out — the threshold between them reads as a designed moment, not a transition between two different projects.

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Bellevue Clubhouse swing outdoor lounge area — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

The swing zone — an outdoor moment designed to invite rather than just occupy space.

The Challenge

The Challenge: Exterior That Matches Interior Ambition

Multifamily exterior design often lags behind interior upgrades. Residents see improvements in the lobbies and amenity spaces, then step outside into an environment that tells a different story. The challenge here was to close that visual and experiential gap — making the exterior as considered as the interior had become.

The outdoor amenity program had to serve diverse uses: casual socializing, quiet moments, active use. The swing area, lounge zones, and water feature each address a different mode. The landscaping connects them — providing a coherent outdoor environment rather than isolated elements.

Modern office building inviting landscape natural elements — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Modern outdoor lounge chairs canopies poolside — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Modern outdoor sofa side table green setting — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

“The exterior is the first thing residents see every day — it should be designed with that frequency in mind.”

Modern residential building landscaped garden large windows — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Our Design Approach

How We Redesigned the Exterior

We started at the entry — the sequence from arrival to threshold. The entry zone sets the tone for everything that follows. Material selection at the facade, lighting at the entry, planting that frames the approach without obstructing sight lines. The entry earns its moment.

Outdoor furniture selection was made for Pacific Northwest conditions — materials that hold up to moisture and UV, seating that can be used comfortably from spring through fall with the right orientation. We spec’d for weather performance first; aesthetics second. The two aren’t in conflict if the selection is careful.

Lighting was designed for the evening experience — a clubhouse exterior that reads well during the day needs to also function at night, when residents return from work and when social use of outdoor spaces peaks. Landscape lighting, facade accent lighting, and path lighting were all specified as part of a unified exterior lighting plan.

Modern minimalist entrance area bench planter lighting — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Modern water feature spouts stones shrubs outdoor — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Modern outdoor lounge gray seating lush greenery — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Modern Ridgedale leasing office entrance landscaping — Ariana Designs, Bellevue Washington

Location

Bellevue, Washington

Project Type

Clubhouse Exterior & Landscape Design

Zones

Entry sequence, swing area, outdoor lounge, water feature

Style

Modern with natural material integration

Key Features

Facade update, outdoor amenity programming, landscape design

Scope

Full exterior redesign and landscape architecture

Common Questions

Frequently Asked

What does exterior clubhouse design involve?
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The full envelope — facade materiality, entry sequence, outdoor amenity zones, and landscape. A successful exterior design considers how residents arrive, how they use outdoor spaces, and how the building reads from the street. It’s not just aesthetics; it’s programming the exterior like you would program an interior.

How do you design outdoor amenities for a Pacific Northwest climate?
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Material selection for weather performance is the starting point — surfaces that hold up to moisture and UV without constant maintenance. Orientation matters: outdoor seating should maximize southern exposure and be protected from prevailing winds. Covered zones extend the usable season significantly. Design for the shoulder seasons, and summer takes care of itself.

How important is exterior lighting in multifamily design?
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Critical, and consistently underspecified. Residents return home in the evening — the building should read as designed and welcoming in those conditions. Landscape lighting, facade accent lighting, and path lighting need to be unified into a single exterior lighting plan. Afterthought lighting reads as afterthought design.

How do you close the gap between interior and exterior quality in a renovation?
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Material language continuity. When the interior has been upgraded, the exterior update should pull from the same palette and finish quality — not match literally, but share a design sensibility. The threshold between inside and outside should feel like a designed moment, not a gap between two renovation budgets.

What makes an outdoor lounge area actually get used?
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Comfort, shelter, and a reason to be there. Seating that’s actually comfortable in local weather conditions. Enough overhead protection that a light rain doesn’t end the session. And a feature — a water element, a view, a fire — that gives people a reason to choose the outdoor space over just staying in. Furniture alone doesn’t create a destination.