SMR Architects

08/24/2026

𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆
SMR joined HopeSource and the City of Cle Elum last week to celebrate the Teanaway Court groundbreaking. When complete, the project will bring 41 affordable homes and a child development center to Upper Kittitas County. We are grateful to be part of a project that reflects what community-driven housing can look like.

HopeSource officials gathered with representatives from the city of Cle Elum to celebrate a groundbreaking ceremony for Teanaway Court on Thursday.

08/20/2026

𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬
A powerful piece of local history is taking center stage in Bellevue. We are excited to share that a new downtown park will bear the name of ISAN Bellevue, co-founded by SMR Managing Principal Doug Ito, FAIA, who serves as board president. Located near the East Main light rail station, Isan Park honors the Japanese American community's deep roots in the city, including Doug's own family history there as pre-war farmers. Proud to see this important story of heritage and remembrance take root!

Bellevue has named a new downtown green space to honor the past and present of its Japanese American community.

08/12/2026

𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
We recently celebrated the grand opening of North View in Port Angeles! Developed by Peninsula Behavioral Health and constructed by Neeley Construction Company, this new 36-home permanent supportive housing community offers stable, dignified homes for individuals and families who have experienced chronic homelessness, with a focus on residents living with disabilities, mental health challenges, and substance use disorders.

North View features trauma-informed design throughout, rooftop terraces with views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Olympic Mountains, and a community room ceiling framed in cross-laminated timber, a first for SMR.

Congratulations to Peninsula Behavioral Health and the entire project team!

07/15/2026

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲
We are incredibly proud to have been the architect for DESC’s beautiful new Birch Grove building in Lake City! Named in memory of advocate Helen Birch, this permanent supportive housing community will provide 120 adults experiencing chronic homelessness with a safe, stable place to live alongside crucial, on-site wraparound care.

Thank you to DESC and the many partners who brought this vital project to life. It’s an honor to design spaces where people can heal, find stability, and rebuild their lives.

Birch Grove: In memory of a fearless advocate, in support of the most vulnerable July 15, 2026July 15, 2026 Birch tree saplings speckle the patio at Birch Grove, a new permanent supportive housing property in Seattle. (Courtesy: Tim Marshall) Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) celebrated the g...

06/18/2026

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆
Yesterday, our team spent the day volunteering with Sound Foundations NW, and it was such a rewarding experience! A huge thank you to everyone on our crew who showed up and gave their all.

We headed to The Hope Factory in S**O to help construct a tiny home that could help up to 60 people transition off the streets. Sound Foundations NW builds tiny homes as a proven, life-changing bridge out of homelessness with over 55% of tiny home residents going on to permanent housing - one of the highest rates to permanent housing among all shelter options. We're so proud to support their work.

Check them out at soundfoundationsnw.org!

06/02/2026

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗯𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
Yesterday, several of our team members spent an inspiring day at the AIA Seattle Housing Design Forum, hosted at the National Nordic Museum! This year’s theme, 𝙂𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙗𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: 𝙐𝙣𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜, offered an incredible deep dive into how recent state and local housing reforms are unlocking new design possibilities. From opening remarks by Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson to engaging case studies on innovative, sustainable housing models, our team walked away with fresh tools and insights to help our sector get to abundant housing.

A huge thank you to AIA Seattle for putting together such a timely, thoughtful, and beautifully hosted event. We’re ready to put these insights into practice!

Pictured: Fiona Cahill, Kate Smith, Greta DuBois, and Claudia Rosa-López

06/02/2026

𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿
Congratulations to SMR intern, Felipe Cruz, for graduating from the Housing Development Consortium (HDC) Internship Program last week!

Felipe spent the last nine months learning about the affordable housing sector. We were lucky enough to have him join our team to work on the Sunnyside Outlook Road development in Sunnyside, WA, before he wrapped up his program gaining even more valuable experience with our friends at Side x Side Architects.

Thanks so much to Housing Development Consortium for hosting this incredible, impactful internship program and for their continued dedication to empowering the next generation of housing leaders. Felipe, we are so proud of your hard work, dedication, and the bright future you have ahead of you in creating vibrant, inclusive communities. Congrats to Felipe and all the HDIP Graduates!

05/27/2026

𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘁𝘀
We're proud to be working on this meaningful development, which will bring 42 affordable units to Burlington, including 12 reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness, when it opens later this year.

Thanks so much to Volunteers of America Western Washington, Beacon Development Group, Dawson Construction, and the entire team making this vision a reality.



https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B8YdzFR9Q/

Ballington Flats is an exciting VOAWW capital project in Skagit County that will provide an affordable, long-term housing solution for the community.

This year, the project is making major progress as construction continues moving forward, bringing us closer to welcoming future tenants. It has been incredible to see how much the site has transformed over the past few months.

Once completed in 2026, the development will include 42 units, with 12 reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness, along with a play area and a community building featuring a commons room and administrative offices.

We are excited to see this project take shape and look forward to the impact it will have for years to come.

05/27/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻
Congratulations to SMR's own Jacqui Aiello on receiving the AIA Seattle Community Service Award during last night's Parti!

From designing community infrastructure in rural Honduras to co-chairing AIA Seattle's Committee on Homelessness, leading social housing design collaboratives, and serving on the Tacoma for All Steering Committee, Jacqui has spent her career putting her skills in service of housing justice. And she does it all because she believes it's simply the right thing to do.

We are so proud to have her on our team and inspired every day by her commitment to the communities she serves.

Congratulations to all the winners! Read more about this year's honorees by clicking the link below.

https://aiaseattle.org/2026-aia-seattle-parti-honorees/

05/20/2026

𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸
Housing Development Consortium's Affordable Housing Week is in full swing with tours, panels, community conversations, and more! Spots are filling up fast, so check the full calendar and register today: housingconsortium.org/events/affordable-housing-week .

An incredible weeklong series events that works to highlight the role affordable housing plays in stabilizing our communities.