We are a Seattle, Washington based architecture firm creating varied work consistently rooted in a single vision and a few key principles.

D3 Architects was born out of a VISION to marry beauty and economy to make architecture.

We think that beauty is enhanced when we know it was designed and made with elegance, meaning, in the most economical way possible.

our OPERATIONS PRINCIPLES

DESIGN
We design to work within necessary constraints.
The site.  The program.  Time.  Money.  Building and land use codes.  Resale value.  Climate change.  Community concerns.  Return on investment.  These constraints often produce a complex web of competing priorities.  To balance these priorities, we employ a design process that opens us up to exploring many options.  In this opened space, we design projects that are clear and cohesive expressions of the marriage between beauty and economy.

While design is a process that promotes open exploration, strategy focuses in on a plan to achieve a goal. 

STRATEGY
We strategize to eliminate unnecessary constraints. 
Not all constraints are necessary.  Some are products of “that’s just the way it was” syndrome—like a large lot that can be subdivided—or a rule that a city enforces without codifying it in legal code.  When we identify an unnecessary constraint, we eliminate it.  The results can save clients money and time and open the project up to new design opportunities.

our design principles

DAYLIGHT
We design for daylight, opening our buildings up to let in natural light from all directions.  From the south and west, we like the warmer light in more public, social parts of a project.  Northern light is great for more private spaces, like bedrooms and bathrooms because it provides even, diffuse light.

LIVE THE PLAN
The floor plan is the main tool that an architect has to organize a building, and thus, organize the lives of the people in the building.  When we are designing the plan we imagine daily life at every scale, from how the siting and orientation impacts daylight and access to making space near the shower for towel hooks.  We create mock ups in the office, an important exercise that helps bring our drawings to life.  “Living the plan” becomes a chorus in every part of the design, ensuring that life in one of our projects is fully supported.

SIMPLICITY & COHESION
Coming up with ideas is easy, editing is the hard part.  Our job as architects is to assemble our ideas into projects that make sense, look and feel whole, that can be built on time and on budget, and literally become the support structure for your life.  A successful project is not just one that looks good or one where everything functions properly. Success for us is when it is all brought together as one clear whole.

ECONOMY AND BEAUTY WORK TOGETHER 
We find meaning in our work when we use our clients resources thoughtfully to make beautiful buildings.  We think that beauty is enhanced when we know it was designed and made with elegance, meaning, in the most economical way possible.

D3 Architects | 4631 S Austin Street Seattle, WA 98118 | contact us at james@d3arch.com | 206.660.0607