Autumn 2026 Newsletter
In 1927, the craftspeople in this building shaped boats by hand. Today, the tools on our desks range from cardboard and X-Acto knives to VR headsets and, lately, AI. As tools and times change, our goal stays the same: to raise the bar on design by engaging our clients in the fun and creativity of the process. Read on for a design workshop at the tip of Point Roberts, a new book on the shelf, a colleague who got her start building treehouses, and seven promises about how we'll use AI.
Creative Workshops Then and Now
Our material library and model shop share space and inspiration with the historic Jensen Motorboat Company. Pictured below is Julie working with clients on their Orcas Island retreat.
Boundary Sunrise
John, Brett and Hieu recently kicked off a new project in Point Roberts, Washington with a site visit and design workshop. (ICYMI, Pt Roberts is a tiny tip of land that limbo’ed its way under the 49th parallel that defines the US-Canada border.) The site enjoys sweeping sunrise views of Vancouver, Mount Baker, and the Cascade Mountains.
On Sale Soon —
DA’s Creek House is featured in a new publication New Northwest hitting bookstores in November.
CRAN Forum
In June, John spoke on the topic of "Beyond Al: The Essence and Future of Residential Design" as part of the CRAN Forum at the AIA National Conference in San Diego. See his article in this month's issue of Residential Design Magazine or read it in full on our blog.
This prompted a lively debate in the office and the following:
Principles and Promises
- Care and creativity come first. Tools--hand, mouse, LLM--are means to those ends.
- Honesty is (still) the best policy. We will let you know when we've used AI and why.
- Excellence is hard work. We will use AI to meet challenges, not to avoid them.
- Meaning comes from human beings being human.
- Collaboration is the key to connection.
- AI can gather and organize information in an instant; wisdom and judgement come from experience.
- To build a positive future for humans, we need to train the next generation of architects to fulfill the above.
Afternoon Afloat!
DA enjoyed an afternoon on the water thanks to boards provided by our downstairs neighbors at Seattle Paddle Club.
Welcome, Liz Watters!
After earning her BArch from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Liz returned to her Pacific Northwest roots to pursue a career in architecture, primarily focused on custom residential design. Liz enjoys creating architecture that is thoughtfully tailored to its inhabitants and highly responsive to site. In her free time, Liz loves to spend time outside, exploring by foot, bike, and ski.
FUN FACT: Liz began her career designing treehouses with Fall City-based Nelson Treehouse and Supply aka “The Treehouse Masters”.
We’re Hiring in Tahoe!
We’re looking for a Project Manager and an Experienced Project Lead to join our Tahoe studio. We seek:
Idea people who can contribute to projects from start to finish,
Collaborators who share their initiative, inspiration, and enthusiasm,
Professionals who combine wide expertise with a spirit of discovery, and
Talented designers who are devoted to serving clients.
If you know someone that could be a great fit, please have them get in touch: https://www.deforestarchitects.com/opportunities