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14 Best Architects in Seattle

Seattle architects bring different strengths to custom homes, whole-house remodels, ADUs, sustainable design, hospitality interiors, and technically complex renovations. The most useful comparison starts with the project you are actually planning, not with a general design style.

Look for experience with the property’s constraints, the level of design involvement you want, and the approvals or consultants the work may require. Communication, organization, budget awareness, and a careful handoff from concept to construction should shape the conversation.

How this guide is ordered

A reputation that holds up over time, real focus on this service and a clear account of how they work: that is how this guide to architects in Seattle was built and ordered.

Featured positions are clearly marked and only offered to businesses that already earned their place in the guide.

Top 3Full listMapHow to choose

Compare 14 local options

La Union Studio, Seattle#1
What stands out
  • Architecture and interiors under one team

  • Collaborative, clearly structured process

La Union Studio

5.029 reviews
2816 S McClellan St, Seattle, WA 98144, United States
Best for
Custom homes and remodelsADU and multifamily projects

La Union Studio is a Seattle-based architecture and interiors firm serving custom residential, commercial, hospitality, cultural, multifamily, and accessory dwelling unit projects. Its work spans new homes, remodels, tenant improvements, interior design, and FF&E, with an interdisciplinary process shaped around each project’s identity and practical goals.

The studio is known for clear plans, responsive coordination, detailed design, and collaborative communication. Its residential work emphasizes personalized, functional spaces, while commercial and multifamily projects balance livability, aesthetics, and budget awareness. Online and in-person appointments support both local and remote collaboration.

Coates Design: Architecture + Interiors, Seattle#2
What stands out
  • Sustainable modern Pacific Northwest design

  • Architecture, interiors, and planning

Coates Design: Architecture + Interiors

5.025 reviews
900 Winslow Way E #210, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, United States
Best for
Sustainable custom homesCivic and healthcare projects

Coates Design: Architecture + Interiors provides architecture, interior design, planning, feasibility, and sustainable design services for residential, commercial, civic, healthcare, and waterfront projects in Seattle and across the Pacific Northwest. The practice is especially focused on modern, environmentally responsible buildings shaped by climate, context, culture, and site.

Its design language pairs clean forms, natural daylight, livable interiors, and technical innovation. The team involves clients early, responds carefully when project issues arise, and works to align creative decisions with practical goals. The portfolio includes custom homes, ADUs, civic buildings, interiors, and complex additions.

Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors, Seattle#3
What stands out
  • Thoughtful custom-home design process

  • Detailed plans for complex remodels

Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors

5.020 reviews
6522 9th Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98117, United States
Best for
Custom homesWhole-house remodels

Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors is a Seattle residential design studio specializing in custom homes , remodels, and additions throughout the Pacific Northwest. Its work blends modern design with natural materials and daylight, creating homes that feel personal, durable, and connected to their setting.

The process begins with careful pre-design research into the property, goals, realistic budgets, and timelines before moving into multiple schematic ideas. Lauren and Kyle Zerbey are known for listening closely, developing creative solutions, producing thorough plans, and supporting projects through construction. The studio is particularly strong for technically complex remodels and highly considered custom homes .

Wittman Estes, Seattle#4
What stands out
  • Architecture integrated with landscape

  • Collaborative project guidance

Wittman Estes

5.020 reviews
6239 Airport Wy S, Seattle, WA 98108, United States
Best for
Sustainable modern homes and gardens

Wittman Estes is a Seattle architecture and landscape design firm focused on sustainable modern homes, gardens, multifamily projects, and boutique commercial spaces. Its work brings architecture and landscape together, creating comfortable, timeless environments that strengthen the connection between indoor and outdoor living.

The boutique team guides projects from concept through permitting, construction, and completion, coordinating with allied professionals along the way. A patient, collaborative process, careful detailing, and a strong design sensibility are central to the practice, including work shaped around budget awareness, practical layouts, and long-term value.

Anima Architects, Seattle#5
What stands out
  • Residential design across Seattle

  • Guidance through permitting

Anima Architects

5.019 reviews
9030 35th Ave SW Ste 100, Seattle, WA 98126, United States

Anima Architects is a West Seattle residential architecture and interior design practice serving projects across the Seattle area. The firm creates modern, timeless, and environmentally responsive custom homes, remodels, additions, and renovations, with designs tailored to each site, climate, and household.

Its process moves from architectural design and detailed development through construction documents, permitting, and coordination with consultants. Clear communication, prompt responses, and attentive listening help turn complex ideas into functional spaces while keeping the project’s goals, timeline, and costs in view. Anima is particularly focused on thoughtful residential design with a calm, collaborative process.

Rhodes Architecture & Light, Seattle#6
What stands out
  • Warm, light-filled interiors

  • Residential and commercial work

Rhodes Architecture & Light

5.017 reviews
4218 SW Alaska St Ste G, Seattle, WA 98116, United States
Best for
Major home renovationsCustom residences

Rhodes Architecture + Light is a West Seattle firm designing residential and commercial buildings with an emphasis on warmth, natural light, comfort, and wellness. Its portfolio ranges from custom homes and major remodels to commercial, mixed-use, and retail spaces.

Tim Rhodes and the team develop creative, efficient solutions by listening closely to how people live, work, and move through a space. Exterior lines, lighting, sustainability, and the relationship between a building and its surroundings receive careful attention, with communication maintained from early design through construction.

srs. architecture, Seattle#7
What stands out
  • ADU and middle-housing expertise

  • Design through construction documents

srs. architecture

5.017 reviews
416 N 45th St Ste. 203, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
Best for
Aging-in-place homesADU projects

srs. architecture is a Seattle design firm specializing in residential architecture, ADUs, middle housing, and carefully considered sustainable spaces. Its portfolio includes net-zero apartments, aging-in-place homes , accessory dwelling units, multifamily residences, public projects, and commercial work.

The practice brings conceptual ambition together with technical rigor, creating environments that are light-filled, functional, and responsive to their surroundings. Services extend from architectural design and documentation through permit and construction-ready drawings, with close attention to site constraints, zoning, sustainability, and long-term usability. Its work is especially relevant to homeowners and developers exploring compact, adaptable, or environmentally responsive housing.

GO'C Architecture & Design, Seattle#8
What stands out
  • Site-specific design approach

  • Architecture with artistic expression

GO'C Architecture & Design

5.016 reviews
89 Yesler Wy Ste 401, Seattle, WA 98104, United States
Best for
Distinctive custom homes

GO'C Architecture & Design is a Seattle studio where rational planning meets artistic expression. The firm develops site-specific homes, wineries, and other designed spaces, shaping each project around its setting and the qualities that make it distinctive. Northwest views, waterfront conditions, and the character of a property become active parts of the design.

The studio’s work aims to make architecture both viable and visually compelling, adding thoughtful ideas beyond the initial brief while keeping everyday function in view. Its creative direction, careful attention to detail, and close engagement with clients make it a strong fit for one-of-a-kind residential or hospitality projects.

Rohleder Borges Architecture, Seattle#9
What stands out
  • Broad project-type experience

  • Craft-conscious collaborative design

Rohleder Borges Architecture

5.015 reviews
89 Yesler Wy, Seattle, WA 98104, United States
Best for
Custom residential architectureCivic and public projects

Rohleder Borges Architecture is a Seattle-area practice designing residential, commercial, civic, public art, adaptive reuse, and aviation projects. Its work pairs innovative structures with respect for tradition, material craft, and the practical demands of construction. The studio also explores environmentally responsible methods across a broad range of building types.

Andrew Borges and Tim Rohleder lead a highly collaborative process that uses physical and digital models, sketches, photomontage, and collage to test ideas. The result is architecture that gives equal weight to function, aesthetics, and the character of a place, from efficient urban homes to calm Northwest residences and complex public-facing facilities. Because the practice works across varied scales and needs, project scope should be established early.

Shuler Architecture, Seattle#10
What stands out
  • Residential remodel specialists

  • Strong code and permitting focus

Shuler Architecture

5.013 reviews
810 NW 61st St, Seattle, WA 98107, United States
Best for
Complex home renovations

Shuler Architecture is a Seattle residential design firm focused on distinctive, highly crafted homes, remodels, additions, and new construction. Its process begins by examining major design decisions such as siting, views, orientation, and circulation, then develops the practical details needed to make the project work.

Mark Shuler brings close attention to cost, zoning, permitting, building codes, and construction realities, while remaining engaged from the initial concept through finishing work. The firm’s portfolio includes projects ranging from compact outbuildings to substantial renovations and new homes, making its guidance useful for homeowners facing complicated residential changes.

ELocal option
#11
What stands out
  • Patient guidance for renovators

Eric Denny Architecture

5.013 reviews
3726 Meridian Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103, United States
Best for
First-time remodeling clientsKitchen and basement renovations

Eric Denny Architecture is a Seattle practice offering attentive residential design for remodels and home improvement projects. Eric works closely with clients to explore style, functionality, and the practical decisions that shape a successful renovation.

A patient, down-to-earth approach makes room for questions and clear explanations, while direct involvement keeps details from getting lost. The practice is especially valuable for first-time renovators who want to understand the process and participate meaningfully in the design.

chadbourne + doss architects, Seattle#12
What stands out
  • Direct service from the partners

chadbourne + doss architects

5.012 reviews
1467 22nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98122, United States
Best for
Personalized home and cottage design

chadbourne + doss architects is a Seattle design duo creating personal, purposeful spaces across the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Their work includes lifestyle-focused residential architecture shaped by a balance of modern character, timeless materials, everyday function, and construction practicality.

Lisa Chadbourne and Daren Doss offer direct, hands-on collaboration with one point of contact throughout the project. They listen carefully to routines and priorities, refine ideas together, and stay engaged with the design-and-build process. Their experience includes primary residences and backyard cottages, with a strong focus on communication, craftsmanship, and thoughtful details. Appointments are required, making advance planning important.

NBBJ, Seattle#13
What stands out
  • Architecture with environmental impact

  • Integrated graphic experiences

NBBJ

4.525 reviews
223 Yale Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, United States

NBBJ is an ideas-driven architecture and design firm in Seattle creating places and experiences that support community, health, and environmental resilience. Its architecture work brings performance and beauty together across substantial projects, while its environmental graphic design practice adds wayfinding, signage, artwork, interactive elements, lighting, and dynamic visual experiences.

The studio’s approach considers both the building and the wider experience of moving through it. Healthy environments, strong communities, resource stewardship, and the relationship between nature and daily life inform its work across workplaces, public settings, and other complex developments.

Olson Kundig, Seattle#14
What stands out
  • Architecture connected to landscape

Olson Kundig

4.432 reviews
159 S Jackson St #600, Seattle, WA 98104, United States

Olson Kundig is a Seattle-based global design practice whose architecture expands the relationship between built and natural landscapes. Its work spans residential, commercial, interior, exhibit, urban, planning, and landscape design, with projects shaped by people, place, and experience.

The practice grew from a residential focus and continues to create single-family homes in settings ranging from rural landscapes to dense urban conditions. A holistic design process carries broad concepts through to small details, balancing comfort and function with collaboration among architects, interior designers, craftspeople, artisans, and fabricators.

The comparison at a glance

#BusinessRatingReviewsBest for
#1La Union Studio 5.029Custom homes and remodels
#2Coates Design: Architecture + Interiors 5.025Sustainable custom homes
#3Studio Zerbey Architecture + Interiors 5.020Custom homes
#4Wittman Estes 5.020Sustainable modern homes and gardens
#5Anima Architects 5.019—
#6Rhodes Architecture & Light 5.017Major home renovations
#7srs. architecture 5.017Aging-in-place homes
#8GO'C Architecture & Design 5.016Distinctive custom homes
#9Rohleder Borges Architecture 5.015Custom residential architecture
#10Shuler Architecture 5.013Complex home renovations
#11Eric Denny Architecture 5.013First-time remodeling clients
#12chadbourne + doss architects 5.012Personalized home and cottage design
#13NBBJ 4.525—
#14Olson Kundig 4.432—

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Map of architects in Seattle

These architect listings have no verified neighborhood tags, so the map cannot support a reliable area-by-area comparison. Instead, use it to estimate travel convenience and then focus on whether each practice has handled a project with similar scale, age, complexity, or use. Before arranging a meeting, confirm that the firm works in your jurisdiction and can take on the project timeline. Waterfront design, ADUs, major renovations, and commercial interiors may involve different consultants, reviews, or planning stages.

Services to compare

  • Custom home designDevelop a new residence around your site, priorities, daily routines, and desired architectural character.
  • Whole-house remodelsRework several areas of an existing home with a coordinated design rather than isolated room updates.
  • ADU and multifamily designPlan accessory dwelling units, middle-housing concepts, or multifamily projects with attention to use and site constraints.
  • Sustainable homesExplore energy-conscious custom homes and modern residences that integrate environmental goals into the design.
  • Technically complex renovationsCoordinate challenging remodels where structure, systems, existing conditions, or construction sequencing require deeper planning.
  • Hospitality and retail interiorsShape customer-facing commercial environments with layouts, finishes, lighting, and circulation suited to the business.
  • Aging-in-place homesAdapt a home for changing mobility needs through accessible planning, safer circulation, and longer-term comfort.
  • Waterfront and civic projectsFind practices with experience in waterfront homes, civic buildings, healthcare work, or other specialized project settings.

How to choose architects in Seattle

  1. Define the project categoryWrite down whether the work is new construction, a whole-house remodel, an ADU, commercial interior, or a specialized renovation before contacting firms.
  2. Ask for comparable examplesRequest examples with a similar site, building age, scale, budget range, or technical challenge rather than only projects with a similar visual style.
  3. Clarify the service stagesAsk which phases are included, from feasibility and concept through permitting, construction documents, bidding, and construction administration.
  4. Identify approval complexityDiscuss zoning, shoreline or waterfront issues, historic conditions, ADU rules, healthcare requirements, and which consultants the architect coordinates.
  5. Test communication fitAsk who will lead meetings, how decisions are documented, how scope changes are handled, and how often you receive design and budget updates.

Frequently asked questions

When should I hire an architect for a Seattle remodel?

Bring an architect in before finalizing a major layout, structural change, ADU, or technically complex renovation. Early input can clarify feasibility, approvals, scope, and whether specialists are needed. For smaller work, ask during an initial conversation what level of design service is proportionate to the project.

Can one architect handle both design and permitting?

Some practices provide a broad service, while others focus on selected phases or coordinate outside specialists. Confirm who prepares the permitting package, responds to review comments, and manages revisions. The proposal should make responsibilities clear so important tasks do not fall between firms.

What should I bring to an initial architect meeting?

Bring your goals, property information, photographs, rough timing, known constraints, and a list of must-haves. For a remodel, note areas that perform poorly; for an ADU, describe the intended occupants and use. A realistic budget range is also helpful, even if it will change.

How do sustainable architecture services differ from standard design?

Sustainable design can address orientation, materials, energy use, water, landscape, durability, and long-term operating comfort as part of the project decisions. The exact emphasis varies by practice and project. Ask which measurable goals they set and how those goals affect design, construction, and ongoing maintenance.

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