Mithun’s holistic approach to urban design, planning and implementation is exemplified in the synergy of Northgate Urban Design Framework, Thornton Place LEED-ND pilot and Hubbard Homestead Park. Key to our success was the simultaneous inclusion and integration of natural and human systems at multiple scales, and our understanding of both policy implications and market realities that inform a broad range of design responses.

The Puget Sound Great Hall at the newly expanded "Seattle Aquarium":http://www.seattleaquarium.org was designed to be a flexible exhibit space during the daytime and a sophisticated event space for catered evening events. Even though Seattle benefits from a temperate year round climate and the building was designed for natural cooling and ventilation, engineering studies indicated that late afternoon temperatures in during July and August would reach the mid-80s and beyond. The Aquarium leadership team determined that this would be unacceptable for summertime weddings and other formal events during this time of year, and instructed the design team to research energy efficient ways to provide mechanical cooling for the space.

Historically, there have been two types of campuses: the self contained “ivory tower” model, which is derived from the isolated monasteries of the Middle Ages, and the more complex, integrated campus, which originated in the Renaissance when artisan and merchant guilds assimilated themselves into the vital, increasingly industrial, urban communities. Most urban campuses today are a synergistic combination of both, providing a rich environment for students, faculty, staff and adjoining communities.

IslandWood (formerly the Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center) is an educational campus that provides young people with a deeper understanding of the natural environment through hands-on project and outdoor field experience.

It all began with a phone call from a former client here in Seattle saying that someone from India had visited their private school and expressed interest in developing a similar school in Mumbai. Since he was so impressed with the design of the school in Seattle, he wanted us to be the architects for his new school in India!

Do these things really happen? – In India, they do.

"We collect 80 percent or more of the blood that is used in the state of Washington," says Mark Destree, Director of the Puget Sound Blood Center (PSBC). "The relocation [to the new larger facility] of the Inventory Production Department has allowed them to double their capacity, at least. The throughput has increased by at least 20 percent initially, and that was after two weeks of being here [in the new center]."

PSBC directors enlisted consultants to evaluate the use of LEAN Manufacturing and facility planning. This method derived from Toyota’s production system that realized the potential for work space to minimize effort and maximize value by improving workflow efficiency.

Video: Members of the tribe dance, drum, sing and reflect upon their new gathering space during the Suquamish Community House Opening on March 10, 2009. The new building, made of cedar and other native woods, includes 6,200 sf of performance space with traditional bench seating for 300 people, a staging room, lobby, full kitchen and restrooms.

Video: T. Frick, ASLA LEED® AP, Landscape Architect for the Taylor 28 residential block in Seattle discusses the project location, significance to the Blue Ring Strategy, and public-private design collaborative strategies.