SEATTLE, WA—Award-winning architecture, interior design, and planning firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) is pleased to announce the opening of its Seattle, Washington office, the firm’s second on the west coast.

The new location follows the success of SCB’s San Francisco office, which opened in 2007 and has grown to a staff of over 80 design professionals with projects up and down the west coast and Hawaii. With this new location in Seattle, SCB brings the firm’s in-depth knowledge and expertise in urban multi-family, mixed-use, commercial office, and higher education projects to the thriving Seattle market and the greater Pacific Northwest.

“Our decision to expand with an office in Seattle was fueled by what we see as a great synergy of our design expertise and the city’s needs amid its current growth,” said SCB president Chris Pemberton. “As a firm working on a variety of building types in cities across the country, we feel that there is an opportunity here to be part of the conversation and design dialogue about what the future of the city can be.”

SCB Seattle is led by Nolan Sit, an Associate Principal and senior designer who has been with the firm since 2006. His recent portfolio of work includes Hub50House, a 38-story residential tower in Boston; Loews North Park Drive, a mixed-use hotel and apartment tower in Chicago; and 414 Light Street, the tallest residential tower in Baltimore. “People are central to our success as a firm. We are not a firm that grows through acquisition, rather we like to promote and challenge leaders from within,” explained Pemberton. “Nolan is an example of just that. An experienced designer who has worked hard to hone his talent and design leadership”

“SCB has long been a leader in urban design and has a unique design perspective that encompasses the full  experience of a city- how people live, work, and learn,” said Sit. “I am excited to be part of continuing that legacy here in Seattle as we build a team and practice.” Sit is joined by Brandon Kelly, an Architect with over 15 years of experience in the Pacific Northwest. Kelly, who previously worked for SCB’s San Francisco office, returns to the firm as an Associate with a focus on project management and design.

SCB’s first project in Seattle is a contemporary 27-story condominium tower at 615 Eighth Avenue on First Hill. The project, adjacent to Trinity Church, creates a new courtyard garden and provides 30,000 square feet of facilities for Trinity Parish, including office space, classrooms, meeting rooms, event space, and a community art gallery.