Our Organization
ENVIRONMENTAL WORKS VISION
We envision an equitable future that integrates the built and natural environments to support healthy, connected, and joyful communities.
MISSION
We plan, design, and advocate for community-centered environments.
VALUES
Design processes and projects should uplift human dignity.
Building equitable, healthy communities requires advocacy and action.
Under-resourced communities must be equal partners in our design solutions.
High quality design balances the needs of our clients, end-users, and the natural environment.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Environmental Works collaborates with our clients and the marginalized communities they serve by combining design expertise and a passion for social justice. We are committed to respecting the natural environment and to lifting up the innate human dignity of end users.
Environmental Works has three internal social justice working groups (Community Action, Policy & Advocacy, Internal Improvement) that provide guidance and direction for our DEI and anti-racist work. That group sets a course for trainings, and is currently developing an RFP to diversify the roster of engineering subconsultants that we work with.
Since we are a certified 501c3 non-profit organization, we do not have owners, and thus do not qualify for M/WBE, Veteran Owned or Small Business designation or certification(s). However, our Executive Director, half of our staff leadership, half of our Board of Directors are female, and 25% of our staff leadership and 30% of our Board of Directors are people of color, and we are always working on expanding diversity in our field, and equity with our organization’s operations and in the community.
We are certified under the Institute for Living Future’s JUST Workplace, a transparency and accountability social justice program that we use to demonstrate our commitment to investing in the way we treat our employees and where we make financial and community investments.
In addition, in 2020, we became signatories to the NOMA NW Call-to-Action, and our Executive Director joined the AIA Seattle “Culture Change in Practice” cohort. These two efforts are focused on a series of shared commitments to unified and anti-racist architectural, engineering, construction, and design community.
History
Environmental Works was founded to provide professional architectural and planning service to those under-served by the profession. Throughout our history, we have assisted hundreds of organizations in achieving their facility-needs goals.
Our services include:
Existing condition surveys/capital needs assessments
Feasibility studies
Architectural programming
Community design workshops
Site/zoning analysis
Budgeting and scheduling
Complete architectural services
Environmentally sensitive design (LEED and other)
Socially responsible design (SEED)
For more information on our history and work, please continue exploring our website, or read this 2011 Seattle Times profile of Environmental Works.
In 1970 the University of Washington resembled most campuses of the time – groups of students gathering, planning and protesting. But one group of students was different, meeting instead with several professors to figure out how to tackle local urban issues of the day through architecture and design. Those students took to heart Whitney M. Young’s keynote address at the 1968 AIA national convention:
"We are not at a loss in our society for the know-how. We have the technology. We have the scientific know-how. We have the resources. We are at a loss for the will…You are not a profession that has distinguished itself by your social and civic contributions to the cause of civil rights, and I am sure this does not come to you as any shock. You are most distinguished by your thunderous silence and your complete irrelevance."
On the first Earth Day (April 22, 1970), Environmental Works was born to help those organizations and initiatives that needed professional expertise to launch, preserve and sustain communities throughout greater Seattle. Its first act as an organization was to take up residence at Fire Station 7, where we still operate today, in an effort to save the building from razing. Despite a shoestring budget and an all-volunteer staff, the early days filled quickly with community meetings and collaborative urban design solutions.
From a group of eager students and professors to today’s staff of architects and designers, Environmental Works has evolved into a modern community design center that serves nonprofit and institutional clients across the state of Washington, in both fee-for-service capacities and the no-fee projects supported by the Community Design Fund. Each of our projects, from feasibility to completion, embodies the philosophy of our early days as described by founding board member Dale Miller: “Bringing the resources, information and education needed to communities with limited resources so that they could control the planning, design and development of their own communities.”
The Community Design Process
Inspired by the civil rights movement, and a passion for design that empowers and serves people, Environmental Works has been practicing community design since 1970. Through community design, communities with limited resources collaborate in the planning, design, and development of their own communities.
As an example of the community design process in action, we offer a case study of our Brighton Senior Apartments Project in Hillman City, Seattle (2016 – 2019).
THE BUILDING
The Brighton Senior Apartments
The Brighton in South Seattle, owned by Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation (SSSF), provides 124 affordable housing units to seniors with annual income up to 80% of the King County median, along with their relatives of any age. Recent senior immigrants from East Africa and Asia, as well as long-time residents of Central and South Seattle, comprise The Brighton’s robust, multi-generational community. Languages spoken by residents include Amharic, Somali, Oromo, Arabic, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Spanish, and English.
THE PROCESS
Creating a Stronger, Healthier Community Through Collaborative Design
SSSF received a grant for exterior improvements, presenting a unique opportunity for this diverse community to come together to create a shared vision for improved public space.
In Spring 2016, Environmental Works met several times with a steering committee of Brighton residents, SSSF’s executive director and board members, and other community members to plan the community design process.
VISIONING MEETINGS
In May and June of 2016, EW held two visioning meetings open to all Brighton residents. Residents shared their best ideas for future upgrades to the Brighton campus. They also broke into small discussion groups to generate common themes of interest, which included accessibility, fitness, multi-purpose gathering spaces, barbecues/other food-gathering space, space for children, and landscaping.
DESIGN MEETINGS
In July of 2016, EW facilitated a design meeting held in the existing outdoor gathering space to be redesigned. EW distributed a “kit of parts” it had created based on the prior workshops, so residents could test out various designs. The kit of parts included site plans; cut-outs of programmatic elements such as a covered barbecue area, a protected bike path, and fitness equipment; and markers. Participants refined their design ideas through a combination of small-group discussion, and listening to and sharing ideas with the larger group.
At the September 2016 design meeting, EW presented three design schemes based on the residents’ ideas at the July meeting. Residents once again reviewed and discussed in small groups, and rejoined the larger group to share ideas. EW will use this input to further refine the schematic design drawings with options for the site. At future meetings, EW will present a refined design and offer another opportunity for community feedback.
THE POMEGRANATE PROCESS
EW’s work with The Brighton is grounded in the “Pomegranate Process”, a holistic method for designing community space through meetings and collaborative design, which contributes to residents’ sense of ownership of the project. Sharing diverse viewpoints and expertise strengthens community while also giving rise to beautiful and effective design.
THE OUTCOME
A Space Created By The Community, To Create A Stronger, Healthier Community
Keep watching this space for updates on design and construction of The Brighton’s new outdoor spaces over the next few years.
While we don’t yet know exactly how the finished spaces will look, we do know that the process of community design at The Brighton is bringing together scores of people, both young and old, from around Seattle and around the world, to collaborate on creating a shared vision for their community.
Awards
2019
WASLA Award of Merit for Research, Analysis, and Planning - 15th Avenue East Community Workshop
2015
Lewis Mumford Award Architects Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR)
2012
USGBC LEED for Homes Award - Project of the Year - Place of Hidden Waters
Golden Nugget Award - Salishan Gardens
2011
Green Globe Award - Senior City Apartments
2010
Affordable Housing Finance Magazine Readers’ Choice Award for Nation’s Best Affordable Housing Developments, Rural Category - Villa San Juan Bautista
Affordable Housing Finance Magazine Readers’ Choice Award for Nation’s Best Affordable Housing Developments, Seniors Category finalist - Senior City Apartments
Building of America Awards, Gold Medal Winner - Shepherd’s Garden
2008
Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington Excellence in Construction, Multi Family Category - International Place
2007
PCBC Gold Nugget Award, Special Awards of Excellence - Building Industry Community Spirit Award - Winter’s Creek Village
What Makes It Green Design Exhibition, AIA Committee on the Environment - Kateri Court
2006
Project of the Month, Daily Journal of Commerce - Lao Highlands Community Center
What Makes It Green Design Exhibition, AIA Committee on the Environment - Katherine’s Place
2005
Certificate of Recognition for Design Excellence in Affordable Green Housing, The National AIA Housing and Residential Design Knowledge Community and the AIA Center for Communities by Design - Traugott Terrace
Western Washington University Sustainable Design Exhibition - Traugott Terrace
Seattle BuiltGreen Design Competition, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties and the Seattle Department of Planning and Development, Multi Family Award - Katherine’s Place
2004
What Makes It Green Design Exhibition, AIA Committee on the Environment - The Evergreen State College Campus Children’s Center
BEST Sustainable Building Award, Resource Venture - Traugott Terrace
2003
Pacific NW Good Works Award
SeaGreen Award - Traugott Terrace
Seattle City Light Power Player Award - Traugott Terrace. Sandra Mallory & Bill Singer
What Makes It Green Design Exhibition, AIA Committee on the Environment - Cascade Community Classroom & Traugott Terrace
2002
AIA Seattle Allied Organization Award
2001
What Makes It Green Design Exhibition, AIA Committee on the Environment - Share Bunkhouse
2000
Housing the Northwest Program, AIA Seattle & The Seattle Times - Hopelink Place
Daily Journal of Commerce Project of the Month - Seattle Times Childcare