JA’s diverse project portfolio means that our work comes out of many sectors - and we’re incredibly busy. Our unique. Women-Owned Partnership is currently seeking Project Designers, Architects, and Interior Designers to join our unique firm. Want to hear more about what it’s like to work at Johnston Architects? Here are some of our talented staff members sharing their JA stories.

Kirin, a recently-completed mixed-use building in Seattle’s Uptown neighborhood – mere blocks from Seattle Center with the Space Needle and in a thriving arts district – is an exploration in designing for today’s urban residents.

October is Filipino American History Month (FAHM), commemorating the month the first Filipinos arrived in the continental United States in the late 1500s. At JA we would like to take this opportunity to highlight a Filipino American Architect. Anna Lira Luisa (who goes by Lira) is a Chicago-based Architect and firm owner, with work and licensure globally, and prioritizes the environment, benefit of community, and social impact through the work she does using research and innovative technologies

“Unlike design studios at UW where most projects focus on individual work, I was surprised by how collaborative the architecture industry is, a combination of architects, consultants, contractors, and clients. Only by working together and making use of each person’s expertise can the building be more wholesome and inclusive.”

For architecture and design students, summer internships are often a rite of passage. At JA, we have a rich history of teaching and mentoring students through internship opportunities, but also by lecturing in the College of Built Environments at the University of Washington. Mary and Ray Johnston met each other as graduate students at UW, so we have a special place in our heart for the institution. We’d like to introduce you to JA’s current design interns from the University of Washington.

By sharing personal pronouns in online forums and in group settings, we normalize this practice for individuals who may identify as non-binary, or who may prefer pronouns that others wouldn’t assume based on their name or physical appearance. While not every person who identifies as transgendered or non-binary wants to share their preferred pronouns, those who do can feel more comfortable sharing theirs in environments that support and normalize the practice.

JA Partner Megan McKay was interviewed for the May/June issue of Seattle Business Magazine.

In the DJC's recent Urban Development issue JA Partner Jack Chaffin discusses how ADUs, aka little houses or backyard cottages, will help shape the urban fabric, how they can aid in creating more affordable housing, and JA's solution to help streamline the design of ADUs for property owners across the region.

For our final part of this series, we’re sharing with you some of our favorite AAPI-owned retail spaces.

In Part 2 of JA’s celebration of AAPI-owned businesses, we share with you a condensed list of our favorite culinary masters in the Seattle region.

For this recent blog post, JA’s Marketing Specialist, Jasmyn, reached out to JA staff to learn more about the AAPI artists we support in our community. Jasmyn also shares her perspective on the lived experience of a Filipina in today’s United States.

Thirty-two years ago a friend brought us to the Methow Valley. It was a long drive, with lunch in the Skagit Valley and dinner at the Inn. We went the next morning to visit this amazing meadow flanked by a pocket of forest up valley of the peak of Mill Hill. The Cascade Sawtooths and the Pasaten Cathedrals graced the horizon. Mary and I and our daughter Mona thought we had found a new heaven.

While much has been written about the outsized impact the Coronavirus pandemic has had on the employment of women and working mothers, it’s a crisis that’s been happening on our watch since women entered the workforce.

From its very inception, Johnston Architects’ approach to influencing the local landscape was ahead of its time.

Black women make up .5% of current licensed architects in the United States - that’s just 500 licensed architects, a new record set in October 2020. As a highly under-represented demographic in our industry, we miss out on opportunities to see architecture and design from this perspective.

Johnston Architects, a women-owned company, has three new female Principals. JA has hired Alison Walker Brems as Principal, promoted Genevieve Theriault to Principal and Interior Design Manager, and promoted Mona Zellers to Principal.

As our communities struggle to reopen, women across America see their lives becoming more complicated as they juggle responsibilities at home and at work (which is often still at home), caring for coworkers, customers and family. Mary Johnston created her architecture firm’s culture based on her needs; now it serves the needs of a new generation of architects.

TwispWorks and the Methow Investment Network are looking for additional support to help these businesses thrive. To learn more about TwispWorks - and find out how you can support businesses in the Methow Valley - please check out their websites and fantastic video.

Johnston Architects and the rest of the DXU team are honored to be recognized with this Green Hammer award for this multi-family project. Our collaborative team set sustainability goals for DXU from the very beginning of the project, and these allowed the development to achieve Four Star Built Green certification.

Today we'd like to transport you to Timber Cove - or, as we call it in the JA history books - Base Camp. And we have some exciting news to share…