Seattle Architect George Suyama Profiled in a New Book
The renowned local architect blends Japanese simplicity with Northwest naturalism.
By Seattle Mag March 16, 2011
This article originally appeared in the April 2011 issue of Seattle magazine.
Blame it on the soaring evergreens, the majestic mountains, or the water, water everywhere, but something about the Northwest’s natural environment spawns truly phenomenal architects. Among our many local “starchitects” are Arne Bystrom, Paul Thiry, Ellsworth Storey, Jim Olson, Rick Sundberg, Tom Kundig and George Suyama, a University of Washington architecture grad who opened his Seattle practice (now Suyama Peterson Deguchi) in 1971. His life and work are the subject of a gorgeous new book by Grant Hildebrand, professor emeritus of architecture and art history at the UW. Suyama: A Complex Serenity (University of Washington Press, $75) reveals via full color photographs of regional projects Suyama’s trademark blend of Japanese minimalism and a Northwest emphasis on bringing the outdoors inside. Determined to eliminate “visual noise,” Suyama designs structures simultaneously still and thrilling. How lucky we are to have such an artist bringing manmade beauty to our natural spaces.