Weber Thompson Landscape Architecture Studio

Landscape Architecture

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Landscape Architecture

Go outside.

We spend most of our life inside. Work, home, car – if we don’t pay attention, outside can become just a means of getting from one room to the next. But when the outside is an extension of the inside – when there is a seamless transition from room to roof deck, from lobby to streetscape – outside beckons, enticing you to spend time in its room.

Weber Thompson believes in landscapes of exceptional creativity and thoughtfulness that are sensitive to the earth and respond to the built world around us. Connecting new development with the urban and environmental context, our landscape design becomes an integral part of the overall vision.

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8th & Columbia

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Catherine Benotto AIA, ASLA, LEED® AP BD+C PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE Catherine Benotto leads Weber Thompson’s Community / Urban Design and Landscape Architecture Teams working on innovative place-making projects throughout the Northwest. Her work is characterized by an ability to create integrated communities that have a human scale and respect the environment.

Chialin Ma LANDSCAPE DESIGNER For Chialin, Landscape Architecture represents the ability to work in the fourth dimension. It is an organic medium, where what you design changes though both the seasons and the years. Chialin appreciates these evolutions and the challenge of creating solutions that accommodate them.

Burton K. Yuen LANDSCAPE DESIGNER Burton’s attention to detail and understanding of hardscape, construction administration and technical details makes him a valuable part of the Landscape Design Studio. He has been honing his design and technical chops for over 20 years, and loves being part of a multi-disciplinary, collaborative team at Weber Thompson.

Meet the team

Premiere on Pine

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Lobby

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CirrusSE AT TLE, WA

A successful streetscape design means the landscape and building both connect to the greater fabric of the neighborhood. For Cirrus, the landscape took its cues both from the building’s architecture, and from the contextual and cultural elements that permeate the district.

On the street, a pattern of Ash and Dogwood trees are consistent with the landscape at the nearby Cornish campus, while the paving patterns mimic the shape of the building above. This ties the street together and grounds the building in the urban fabric.

Up above, a roof top oasis provides valuable amenities to residents. The area is divided into three zones of activity. The clubroom opens to a BBQ/bar with a lantern fireplace surrounded by seating that allows for groups to gather, meet and enjoy the city view. On the opposite end, a more intimate area branches off the collaboration amenity space. The focal point is a large hearth built into the back of a stick formed concrete planter creating the optimal configuration for a large singular group. Enjoining the two entertainment areas is a tranquil water garden filled with water lilies and water hawthorne.

440 ft tower, 248 units with 38 stories

‘Green Street’ Streetscape on Lenora

Roof top terrace features water garden with aquatic plants, casbah area, hearths, and BBQs

Building is registered to pursue LEED certification

SERVICES Architecture Interior Design Landscape Architecture

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Premiere on PineSE AT TLE, WA

815 Pine Street will soar 40 stories above Seattle’s theater district and Convention Center. This project will join Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue and Cirrus [both also designed by Weber Thompson] as one of Seattle’s tallest residential towers. Weber Thompson re-tooled this project, top to bottom, to meet the new owner’s vision and budget, increasing the number of units, removing all the private decks and replacing them with a generous amenity program and a dramatic hotel-inspired rooftop Sky Lounge and Terrace.

Multiple exterior amenity lounge spaces are spread throughout the building, including a lounge space tucked in above the podium, screened with translucent panels for privacy from adjacent buildings. These screened wall creates an ethereal space that’s pleasant even on the grayest of Seattle days.

The roof deck on the 40th floor is an extension of the indoor Forty@400 event space and tenant amenity areas. Indoor/outdoor materials and movable furniture allow the terrace to be arranged in many ways – supporting parties of 100 or intimate gatherings of just a few.

40 story tall apartment building

Amenity package with lounge, board room; media room; event room, and roof top terrace

386 apartments, in a mix of open one bedrooms to three bedrooms and penthouses

Five levels of above grade parking over one level of retail and five levels of sub-grade parking.

SERVICES Architecture Landscape Architecture

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970 DennySE AT TLE, WA

For city dwellers, green spaces are precious. This is why 970 Denny, in the heart of South Lake Union, contains multiple amenity spaces – filled with the color green.

On level seven, this is particularly true. Designed to create a lush habitat for birds, bees and butterflies, it’s also a wonderful place for residents to relax and let the stresses of modern life melt away.

With exterior areas for sunning and gathering, it also contains a private dining pavilion encased with glass. This jewel box is designed for intimate sheltered gatherings while still affording views to the verdant landscaping. Additionally, a drought-tolerant green roof on the pavillion provides insulation and reduces runoff.

The plantings on level seven are colorful, fragrant and arranged in a striated pattern of texture and color that appeals to the senses. This ‘fifth elevation’ creates a distinctive graphic pattern when viewed from the levels above or the surrounding office and residential buildings.

Designed for people and beneficial pollinators

Created as a ‘fifth elevation’ so viewers from above can enjoy the colors, textures, and pattern of the landscaping

Six inch deep green roof system contains six species of plantings, well-suited for shallow soil and tolerant of drought – reducing water usage by over 50%

SERVICES Landscape Architecture Architecture

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Lobby

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The Post SE AT TLE, WA

Taking cues from The Post’s architecture, our landscape architects created a design that is simplicity itself – with clean, pure lines and a strong, minimal plant palette.

On Columbia Avenue, a grove of honeylocust trees encapsulates “The Cube” and its granite plinth. This creates a public oasis, tucked into the Colman Ferry Pedestrian Bridge, with the trees’ fine foliage reflecting the delicate transparency of The Cube while framing the pedestrian bridge and sidewalk. Around Western and Marion St., new street trees and fragrant ground cover plantings line the roads and soften the urban edge.

The roof top level is the hub of The Post’s amenity spaces. Simple plantings define outdoor sitting areas with long low planters filled with ornamental grasses creating foreground views from the indoor amenity spaces. The main roof garden feature is a reflecting pool with a tigerwood platform, wide enough for lounging. Two Japanese Maples and a Japanese Black Pine anchor one end of the pool.

208 “loft style” apartments designed to appeal to Gen Y

LEED NC Certification

Amenities include party terrace, sunning areas, BBQs with dining and pet areas


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8th & ColumbiaSE AT TLE, WA

Our 800 Columbia Neighborhood Open Space is why we love providing landscape architecture services. It was a triple win – for the project’s developers, the First Hill Neighborhood and Seattle’s Parks Department. Bringing all three together to facilitate a successful design solution that will be a cherished community-gathering place was incredibly rewarding for us.

Employing the High Rise Zone’s incentive zoning program, the developers gained increased height for the Weber Thompson designed residential tower in return for providing a publicly accessible open space. The site was located on three parcels, one of which Seattle Parks had hoped would someday be a park in an underserved area. This effort allowed Parks to save their resources for other neighborhood facilities.

There were challenges: providing easily walkable areas on a steeply sloping site; distilling down the many desired elements to the salient ones that fit the 9000 sf site; making it feel public while surrounded by a residential structure, balancing sunny areas with the desired big tree canopy and keeping safety a high priority.

A 300 foot tall, 31 story apartment tower with 287 units

9000 sf Neighborhood Open Space

Pursuing LEED NC Certification

SERVICES Architecture Landscape Architecture Interior Design

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500 Terry SE AT TLE, WA

As Seattle grows in population, balancing density with livability is key. To meet this need, the City offers incentive zoning in the High Rise zone, where neighborhood open space is provided for public use, while the developer garners increased building height. The 500 Terry Apartment Building is taking advantage of this incentive. A generous public plaza at the base of the building bridges the corner of Terry and Jefferson and doubles as the entry to the building.

This blending of public and private realms necessitated strategic design moves that welcome the public, while quietly offering night time security for residents of the building. Its design opens widely to those arriving from the corner on Jefferson, while providing residents a smaller, direct route that subtly fits into the overall plan. This playful pattern reflects key elements of the building’s architecture.

Landscape for a 400 ft tower in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood

A 4,000 sf neighborhood open space at the base of the building creates a public/private amenity.

Amenities include a roof terrace, dog terrace, children play area, fitness terrace, dog play areas and storm water planters


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ViktoriaSE AT TLE, WA

Viktoria is a 287,000 sf high-rise apartment building in downtown Seattle containing 249 apartment units, with a spacious 4,420 sf roof deck. Due to the shared nature of the roof top amenity space, special attention was given to providing privacy, grouping the deck into intimate areas, and providing connections between inside and out. Our landscape and interior design teams collaborated to create a seamless experience for residents.

Located on the 25th story of the building, the roof deck posed some unique challenges. Initial wind modeling suggested that high winds might become a concern, so the design team considered the weight and heft of the furniture they selected, or specified furniture that could be bolted down or that contained perforations or openings which would act as ‘wind holes.’ For lounge chairs and other seating, the selections needed to be moveable by people, but again, not by the wind. Other considerations were durability, maintenance requirements, and resistance to water and harsh weather.

Roof Deck is 4,420 square feet

Private enclave near a central fireplace allows residents to relax and socialize in all seasons

Low-water usage landscaping and drought tolerant plants contribute to overall water efficiency in the building

LEED Certified for NC


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LUMASE AT TLE, WA

LUMA’s clean, modern design works hard to be a good neighbor. A simple, elegant tower rises from the ground at the corner, while a podium wraps the east and west corners extending the lines of the adjacent and nearby low-rise buildings. A heavier, darker element hugs the back of the tower, grounding the project and setting off the lighter, more dominate structure.

The tight site was the greatest challenge in the design. There was little relief off the sidewalk, so carefully landscaped linear gardens around the tower were designed to relieve and activate the street level, creating an appealing pedestrian experience and reinforcing the residential flavor for this neighborhood. Along the tower, corner balconies are featured on every floor culminating in a generous roof top amenity package with 270 degree views of the city, Puget Sound and Mt. Baker.

A 240 foot tall tower located in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood.

214 residential apartments

Generous amenity package includes a roof top deck with 270 degree views, a dog run and seating/BBQ areas with adjacent sun room, party room, theater and private conference/dining room.


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Sunset ElectricSE AT TLE, WA

At Sunset Electric, residents are seldom enclosed. An airy lobby leads to an innovative courtyard, open to the skies with lush landscaping visible at every level. In the residences, large windows

– in some units on both the exterior of the building and facing the courtyard – forge a connection with the elements. Above, a rooftop deck with wide vistas of downtown Seattle, Mt. Rainier and Capitol Hill allow residents to dine and play alfresco. With such a connection to the outside, the landscape needed to pay careful attention to both creating elegant, welcoming spaces and supporting the project’s ambitious sustainability goals.

Central to the building’s efficiency, the courtyard is a web of bridges and balconies common in modern European designs. A central stair encourages walking and a monochromatic palette with bursts of sunflower yellow doors allows the greenery to take center stage. Views from the different levels were key to the landscaping which incorporates a green screen for flowering vines, native dogwood trees that will blossom in the spring creating a canopy of white flowers and planters filled with clusters of shade tolerant hostas and ferns.

92 units with a mix of studio, one- and two-bedrooms

Certified LEED Platinum for Homes

Participating in the City of Seattle’s Priority Green Pilot Program

Drought tolerant plants, a green roof, and water efficient irrigation contribute to overall sustainability


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Pursuing LEED certification

Materials rendered in a refined northwest palette of wood, stone, and steel

Includes streetscape and two outdoor amenity spaces

Located next to planned park and the intersection of two Green Streets


StratusSE AT TLE, WA

Weber Thompson approached the streetscape and terrace level designs at Stratus with a celebratory theme in mind; the design emphasizes the adjacent park, views, recreation, and community gathering.

The 6th floor amenity terrace boasts a grand view of the park below and a sunning island deck within a water feature fountain, outdoor movie theater with bar and central hearths, private dining areas, raised community garden beds and dog run. Rendered in stone, weathered steel, wood and concrete, these outdoor areas are woven together in a repeating, rhythmic pattern. Planted areas serve to define private alcoves while creating a cohesive whole.

On the upper roof, expansive views toward downtown and Lake Union delight in all directions. Providing a sharp contrast in scale, a jewelbox garden is enclosed by a birch tree grove and landform wedges. Under the canopy, lighted to imitate a starry night, is a dining and BBQ area. Wood decking lines the park side of the roof deck, with seating areas focused on table torches; the ideal gathering place to watch the sun set over the city on a warm summer day.

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Fremont Office BuildingSE AT TLE, WA

When approached to design a highly sustainable office project in Seattle’s self-proclaimed ‘Center of the Universe,’ we jumped at the chance. The site and program offers many opportunities to design a handsome building that pushes the limits of building performance.

Along the east edge of the project site, the Aurora Bridge empties stormwater runoff directly onto Troll Avenue. This water typically flows downhill into dedicated storm drains that discharge into Lake Union without ever being treated. When completed, the project will redirect this runoff into a series of deep bioretention cells running alongside the building. These planters will be densely planted with vegetation that naturally scrubs stormwater, allowing dissolved pollutants to settle before the water - much cleaner than before - is diverted back into Lake Union.

Adjacent to these planters, a stair climb and new sidewalk will use signage to educate the public about this voluntary altruistic feature and lead pedestrians up the slope of Troll Avenue, a frequent path for neighbors and tourists climbing to see the Troll sculpture dwelling beneath the bridge.

Highly sustainable commercial office project on the cutting edge of building performance

Located in a quirky, independent neighborhood full of artists coexisting with international tech companies

Dramatic energy efficiency goals with significant reductions from baselines


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Elan Uptown FlatsSE AT TLE, WA

An urban porch is the driving concept of the building’s main entry. It creates a welcoming feature entry for the building, reinforces community building and actively and passively engages the public realm at the street corner. The design is an urban take on traditional porch designs with an elevated deck to maximize views and underline security, an overhang for weather protection and a custom steel and wood slatted screen for shading and scale. A fire pit draws users and encourages neighbor gatherings.

A clean, modern design marks Elan Uptown Flats, which is carried to the roof deck amenity landscaping. Gathering spaces are divided and made private with structured planting boxes, and a grove of trees provides a sheltered space to congregate.

Festoon lighting strung over dining tables adjacent to an outdoor grill makes the perfect area to gather with friends on a summer eve for a dinner party. The adjacent harb garden is planted to attract beneficial pollinators – while also providing al fresco diners with mint or thyme for their refreshing afternoon iced beverages.

182 apartments in two buildings ranging from studios to 3-bedrooms and 14 live/work units

Largest live/work unit is 1,500 sf, located at the prime intersection of Queen Anne Ave and W Thomas St.

Amenities include a fitness center, club room, roof deck, conference center and private guest suite


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4730 CaliforniaSE AT TLE, WA

We love it when a project extends the fabric of a neighborhood and is welcomed with open arms. After working closely with the community, and receiving their overwhelming support, we designed a building that brought new retail to a retail Mecca.

The nearly 5,000 sf of retail wraps around the north corner of the building and extends into a new mid-block pedestrian connector. This pass through is generously widened and activated by holding the building back at ground level and lining it with retail, the building’s main entry and activity spaces such the tenant amenity and lounge area. The landscaping along here works with the modulation of the building to create a ground plan to successfully integrate both and bring an enhanced amenity to the neighborhood.

Up on the roof, 360 degree views dominate. Low, modern outoor furniture provides seating to soak in the Olympics, Puget Sound, the Seattle syline, and the Cascades beyond. A rose arbor provides shade in summer and serves as a wind block in colder months, making the roof an enticing place to lounge in all seasons. Unoccupiable roof areas are planted in a hearty mix of drought-tolerant plantings to provide insulation and reduce runoff.

A seven story apartment building located in West Seattle

88 market rate apartments with a mix of open one bedrooms, and true 1-, and 2-bedrooms

5,000 sf feet of retail lines California Avenue and wraps the north corner of the building

Building expands existing mid-block pedestrian connector

Certified LEED Gold for Homes, Mid-Rise


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RadiusSE AT TLE, WA

Providing grade related housing, with multiple entrances at the street level, is a newly revived concept here in Seattle. To be successful, the entrances need to provide privacy, security and open space for the resident, while contributing to both the character of the public realm and the building’s architecture. A well considered landscape design is critical to meeting these objectives.

Echoing the architectural concept, Radius’s landscape has two distinct characters: the ‘Lake District’ (north) and the ‘Urban Quarter’ (south). Angled bays mark the Boren Street façade in the Lake District. The landscape design mimics these bays on the ground plane through angled retaining walls to create an ever-changing pedestrian experience as one walks up or down the street. This also allows for various planting depths on either side of the wall and for semi-private stoops. Reflecting a more in-city flavor, in the Urban Quarter, the building is closer to the street, creating a tighter interaction between the street and the stoops.

There are also four levels of roof top terraces and courtyards at Radius. They provide both private outdoor space as well as communal gathering area to dine, party, sun and play.

Seven story apartment building with 282 units

Two levels of sub-grade parking

Units include a mix of studio, open one bedroom, one and two bedrooms.

Building is registered to pursue LEED for Homes Multifamily certification


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Viktoria Roof Deck

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• High-rise and mid-rise building on a shared podium with lushly landscaped courtyards

• Rooftop amenity space on high-rise contains an Aspen grove, outdoor dining and lounge space

• Mid-rise green roof is designed in a graphic pattern to create a ‘fifth-elevation when viewed from above

425 FAIRVIEW | Seattle, WA

Additional Projects

ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

Harbor Crossing Rose Garden | Gig Harbor, WA

Memory Garden at Chateau | Bothell, WA

Bellevue Park | Bellevue, WA

ARCHITECTUR E L ANDSC APE ARCHITECTUR E INTER IOR DES IGN

PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE Blaine Weber AIA

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PRINCIPAL Catherine Benotto AIA, ASLA, LEED AP BD+C

• 300,000 sf tower located in prime downtown Seattle location

• Streetscape design enhances exisiting site trees with similar varieties and complimentary plantings

• Amenity spaces on roof of podium and level 40 serve a total of 400 housing units

• Targeting LEED Silver minimum rating

• Hotel located on a green street

• Lighting in pavement, sidewalk, and outdoor seating leads to a porte-cochère







2ND + PINE | Seattle, WA

TERRY & HOWELL | Seattle, WA

SOREN | Seattle, WA

The Weatherford | Seattle, WA

Elan Redmond | Redmond, WA

Raven Terrace at Yesler Terrace | Seattle, WA

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The Post

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Catherine Benotto AIA, ASLA, LEED AP BD+C

P L A N N I N G A N D L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T U R E P R I N C I PA L

Catherine Benotto directs Weber Thompson’s Community/Urban Design and Landscape Architecture Departments. As an Architect, Landscape Architect and Master Planner, Catherine brings a thorough understanding of built form, ecology, urban design and planning processes, providing balanced, sensitive and sustainable solutions.

Throughout her career, she has been recognized for several of her projects, most notably for the design of Jerusalem’s City Hall Square in Israel, while working with AJ Diamond Donald Schmitt and Company in Toronto. Catherine worked on the master plan, architecture and headed the landscape design team where the garden spaces tie this civic campus of 13 buildings together and to the heart of Jerusalem. These public spaces included the main civic plaza, amphitheater, aqueduct water feature, roof garden, landscape structures, a City park, courtyards and streetscapes.

Catherine performs extensive public service and advocacy for sustainable site strategies, Low Impact Design and LEED for Neighborhood Development as well as for affordable housing in Seattle. She serves on the Seattle Planning Commission and is the former chairman of the City of Seattle Design Review Board for West Seattle. She also serves on the Mayor’s Affordable Housing and Livibility Advisory Committee.

L ANDSC APE ARCHITECTURE EXPERIENCE

Stratus | Seattle, WA

800 Columbia | Seattle, WA

Premiere on Pine | Seattle, WA

Viktoria | Seattle, WA

2nd + Pine | Seattle, WA


The Post | Seattle, WA

Cirrus | Seattle, WA

500 Terry | Seattle, WA

LUMA | Seattle, WA

South Kirkland TOD

The Post

800 Columbia

Viktoria

8th & Columbia

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L ANDSC APE ARCHITECTURE EXPERIENCE

South Kirkland TOD | Kirkland, WA

Aegis Bellewood Assisted Living & Memory Care | Bellevue, WA

Jerusalem City Hall | Jerusalem, Israel*

Ayala Triangle Roof Terraces | Makati City, Philippines* *designed while at a previous firm.

EDUC ATION

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture – University of Toronto, Ontario

Master of Architecture – UCLA

PUBLIC SERVICE

Housing Affordability & Livibility Advisory Committee | 2014-2015

Seattle Planning Commission | 2009 - 2015

Light Rail Review Panel, City of Seattle | 2012-2015

AIA Communities by Design, Sustainable Design Action Team | 2012

WSU Low Impact Development Certificate Program – Instructor | 2009 - present

Climate Action Plan Technical Advisory Group for Building Energy, City of Seattle | 2011 - 2012

Low Impact Development Technical Guidance Manual for Puget Sound, 2nd Edition, Technical Advisory Committee | 2010 - 2011

West Seattle Triangle Advisory Group | 2010

Cascadia Living Futures Conference Volunteer | 2010

South Lake Union, Urban Design Framework Design Charettes | 2010

Juror, Builder’s Choice Award, Builder Magazine, Washington | 2009

USGBC, LEED ND, Pacific Regionalization Task Force | 2009

Puget Sound Regional Council/Urban Land Institute “Reality Check” charette facilitator | 2008

500 Terry

LUMA

Cirrus

Catherine Benotto CONT.

Premiere on Pine

Chialin MaL A N D S C A P E D E S I G N E R

800 Columbia

For Chialin, Landscape Architecture represents the ability to work in the fourth dimension. It is an organic medium, where what you design changes through both the seasons and the years. Chialin appreciates these evolutions and the challenge of creating solutions that accommodate them.

EDUC ATION

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture – Tunghai UniversityMaster of Landscape Architecture – University of Washington

EXPERIENCE


800 Columbia | Seattle, WA

LUMA | Seattle, WA

2nd + Pine | Seattle, WA

Premiere on Pine | Seattle, WA


University of Oregon John E. Jaqua Academic Center* | Eugene, OR

Samsung Family Residence* | Seoul, Korea

Bellevue Residence* | Bellevue, WA

HangZhou CDB* | HangZhou, China

*designed while at Charles Anderson Landscape Architecture.

PROFESS IONAL ACTIV ITIES

Idea Competition, Washington Monument, Washington DC | 2010 (in collaboration with Jeff Hou, Landscape Architecture Dept. Chair at University of Washington)

Teaching Seminar | University of Washington, Seattle, WA | 2005National Student Design Competition | Ross Bridge, Birmingham, AL | 2004Community participation: Envisioning Burlington | Burlington, WA | 2003

Stratus

John E. Jacqua Academic Center

Fremont Office Building

Burton K. YuenL A N D S C A P E D E S I G N E R

Elan Uptown Flats

Detail oriented and highly organized, Burton Yuen is a crucial member of Weber Thompson’s landscape architecture design studio. With over 20 years of experience in Idaho and Seattle, he’s worked on a wide variety of project types ranging from affordable housing to office campuses for technology clients.

For Burton, having a big picture view of each project is vital. “The more you know, the more useful you are,” says Burton. He loves working at a multi-disciplinary firm because it creates efficiencies that can’t be found in smaller firms. If he needs to know the current dimensions of a roof deck he’s designing, he can just walk right over to the person working on the building design and ask them. This ultimately saves time and speeds up the design process, and results in better designs because the whole team has a shared vocabulary and can be on the same page, at the same time.

When not selecting shade-tolerant ground cover or detailing planter designs in CADD, Burton can be found at home with his wife and four children. He also loves to cook and loves to design sets for theatrical productions.

EDUC ATION

Bachelor of Landscape Architecture – Utah State University

EXPERIENCE

Fremont Office Building | Seattle, WA

425 Fairview | Seattle, WA


Terry & Howell | Seattle, WA

Elan Uptown Flats | Seattle, WA

Potala Tower | Seattle, WA

Evergreen Plaza | Bellevue, WA

Stratus

425 Fairview

Documents

Weber Thompson Landscape Architecture Studio