We started the BUILD blog with the intention of providing a communication hub for modern design in the northwest as well as an information trading ground for The Modern List.
BUILD llc is a small design-build firm in Seattle specializing in modern residential, commercial and mixed use projects. Kevin Eckert is the founding principal of BUILD llc and Andrew van Leeuwen is partner and architect. Bart Gibson is out in the field whipping our projects into shape and our longstanding intern, Duff Bangs, is wrapping up a graduate degree at Washington State University. We’ve stepped into developing our own projects and even get our hands dirty from time to time. We strive for authenticity and a modernism that makes sense here in the northwest and find that project constraints provide the greatest of all design opportunities. Our gurus in the design world are Cecil Balmond, the late Peter Rice, Peter Zumthor, Glen Murcutt, the northwest’s very own Eric Cobb, and the Scandinavians (pretty much everything they be and do).
The Modern List is a modernist guide to several cities around the country, primarily on the west coast. It’s a guide intended for the design conscious interested in experiencing modern architecture, design, art, food and culture. With the guiding principal that every traveling experience should be exciting or at least enjoyable, we originally started compiling these lists of places and spaces out of a desire for fun and effective travel. Nothing pisses us off more than settling for a mediocre cup of coffee at some fill-in-the-blank large coffee chain when you know that there must be a great little well-designed coffee shop with great beans just around the corner – like Grey Dog Coffee in Manhattan. If only you had a list of such places… We’re constantly updating the guide so if you’ve got recommendations, opinions or scathing criticisms, send them our way.
With the BUILD blog we intend to toss-out the holy veil of the design culture that seems to make architecture so snooty and uninteresting to discuss. We’d like to get fun, sensible, genuine information out on the table. Let us know how we’re doing.
Contact Information:
BUILD llc Architecture and Construction Management
5611 University Way NE #100-B
Seattle WA 98105
www.buildllc.com
206.382.0401
Andrew van Leeuwen avl@buildllc.com
Kevin Eckert ke@buildllc.com