Architecture + Design
Best Instagram-Worthy Location: Smith Tower
Smith Tower has been ready for its close-up since 1914. Head to the 35th-floor open-air observation deck, where there’s no glass between your phone and 360-degree views of downtown Seattle and Elliott Bay—and, on clear days, Mount Rainier gets in the shot. Even the ride up is photo-worthy, thanks to the tower’s historic Otis elevators….
Best Park: Discovery Park
Seattle’s largest park covers 560 acres on Magnolia’s northwest tip. With more than 10 miles of walking trails—including the 2.8-mile main Loop Trail—there are plenty of opportunities to get outside and explore new territory with each visit. Additional highlights include a children’s play area, tennis and pickleball courts, the West Point Lighthouse (built in 1881),…
Inside SEA’s Revamped Concourse C
Upgrade era: More room to relax, local food, and Pacific Northwest-inspired design give travelers something to enjoy before takeoff.
Over the summer, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport revealed the latest iteration in its expansion plan: the new renovation of Concourse C. Designed by the Miller Hull Partnership and Woods Bagot, in collaboration with the Port of Seattle, the space measures 229,500 square feet (more than double its former size) and features a two-story, daylight-filled marketplace; open,…
A San Juan Island Home for All Seasons
With an eye toward the future, Prentiss + Balance + Wickline helped two Seattle professionals design a house perfect for weekend getaways now—and permanent living during their post-retirement years.
It was early 2017 when a Seattle-based empty-nester couple started searching for a property in the San Juan Islands. They still had jobs in the city, but were nearing retirement and wanted a home they could use on weekends, and eventually settle in after they left the workforce. Initially, the two weren’t planning on a…
Better Together: This Take on Co-Housing Emphasizes Quality and Community
The Seattle project presents an out-of-the-box model, where investors are also residents, and the design focuses on longevity and tenant retention—not profit.
Growing up in rural Detroit, Chad Dale spent many after-school and weekend hours playing with neighborhood kids in an open lot near his house. It’s an experience he always hoped his children would have someday, but by the time he became a father in Seattle, land was at a premium: either already developed or prohibitively…
Building Connection, by Design
How Angela Dunleavy’s new venture is reimagining experiential marketing—and Seattle spaces.
After two decades running restaurants, a nonprofit, and a large-scale catering operation, Angela Dunleavy reached a familiar midcareer inflection point. She had helped build Ethan Stowell Restaurants, led FareStart through the pandemic, and returned to the private sector as CEO of Gourmondo. But something still felt unfinished. “What is it that I really want to…
An Ear For Good Design
Integrated design firm Mithun creates impactful spaces through a culture of listening.
At design firm Mithun, communication plays an indispensable role in the workplace culture. It doesn’t have a single discipline—the practice encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, and urban design. It doesn’t have a single specialty, with projects spanning educational, cultural, civic, and business sectors. And it doesn’t have visual trademarks: each project is hyper-tailored to…
Craft Value: The Founder of Henrybuilt Reflects on What He’s Learned in 25 Years of Business
In 2001, after 15 years of working in publishing—where I was a founding team member of two venture-funded technology companies—I decided to start a different kind of company: one that made physical products. This company, Henrybuilt, would combine product innovation and craft under one roof and sell directly to the end user—the homeowner—so that we…
Best Places to Live: Bellevue
A growing tech hub across the lake.
Long known as a quiet, bedroom community to Seattle, Bellevue has emerged as one of the region’s social and economic power hubs. Boasting a diverse population and some of the state’s top-ranked schools, this Eastside city has experienced continued growth in recent years, with families and young professionals topping out its ranks of new residents….
Best Places to Live: Gig Harbor
For a quiet retirement—or just a slower pace.
In the south sound, gig harbor lures people with the promise of tranquility, space, and some of the most striking views in the region. The city’s picturesque history stretches back to the 1840s—it was named after the small captain’s gig in which the Wilkes Expedition first arrived—and it has evolved into a scenic community known…
Best Places to Live: Normandy Park
A place apart —but still close to everything.
Normandy Park is a place people choose deliberately. First laid out in 1929 as a suburb, the area grew after the city incorporated in 1953, but it was still home to fewer than 2,000 residents. Much of the land had previously been logged or farmed, and even as Seattle expanded nearby, Normandy Park took shape…
Best Places to Live: Black Diamond
Where to live if you want more space (and love the outdoors).
Black Diamond has always felt like a town apart—not just in distance from Seattle (39 miles), Renton (18 miles), and Bellevue (28 miles), but in pace and personality. Located in southeastern King County, the former coal mining hotspot dates back to the late 19th century, taking its name from the Black Diamond Coal Mining Company….
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