Architects of the Pacific Northwest
Sheri Olson
Princeton Architectural Press (2001)
In 1999, I attended my first Eco-Builder Guild meeting in Seattle. I had just learned about green design and architecture and my focus was on residential housing. I had lived in toxic buildings which lead to an environmental illness and at that point, I chose to learn about green alternatives in the realm of housing.
I started picking up library books on green design and I read Natural Home magazine. Although Sheri Olson's book Miller Hull (Architects of the Pacific Northwest) was published in 2001, I didn't pick up this book until 2009. Running over 200 pages with stunning photographs of 29 buildings comprised of public and private designs, the book spans previous projects in the Seattle-Tacoma area, Portland (Ore), Bellingham and other regions in the Pacific Northwest. The architects designed green buildings to fit into diverse climates ranging from the lush and moist San Juan Islands to the deserts of Eastern Washington. Ranging from public libraries, recycling centers, to boathouses and private homes, Olson provides technical details while still keeping this coffee table book interesting to the average reader (especially if the reader has an interest in green design).
Of course, I have my favorite buildings and designs which includes, the Gorton/Bounds Cabin (Decatur Island) looking over the water and built on a slope, the ultra-modern Boeing Cafeteria (Tukwila, Washington), the Girvin Cabin (Decatur Island), and Ching Cabin (Maury Island). Some of the houses built in the desert climate also attracted my attention.
Miller Hull is one of the larger firms located in Seattle and at the publication of this book, the firm founded by architects David Miller and Robert Hull, employed 39 workers, including 4 partners and 5 associates. If you visit the Miller Hull website, you will find an impressive listing of architecture books.
Princeton Architecture Press, http://www.papress.com
Miller Hull Partnership, http://www.millerhull.com