SMR Architects

SMR Architects SMR Architects is a full-service architecture firm. We design, preserve, and advocate for affordable housing. It's our passion!

We pride ourselves on employing the best in our profession who are passionate about community design, historic preservation, and environmental sustainability. SMR Architects is a 39-person, full-service architecture firm established in Seattle in 1977 as Stickney & Murphy Architects. Over our 45-year history, we have emerged as a leader in the fields of affordable housing, historic preservation, and sustainable design. For us, architecture is not just schematics and specifications; it is about the people who ultimately use and inhabit the buildings we design. At SMR, we create living spaces; our structures provide a place for life to happen as they enrich, anchor, and interact with the neighborhoods of which they are a part. Our teamโ€™s collaborative and creative approach to problem-solving, experience with neighborhood outreach and engagement, and sustainable philosophy help us serve both our clients and the community, always putting the interests of people first. Our staff and associates are engaged in the community and regularly volunteer for non-profit, historic, and service-based organizations. Our work is frequently recognized both locally and nationally for its exemplary contribution to multi-family housing design. Most recently, Arlington Drive Youth Campus was recognized with a 2021 Grand Award from the Gold Nugget Awards and the Urban Land Instituteโ€™s Jack Kemp Chairmanโ€™s Award; Plymouth on First Hill received the 2020 AIA/HUD Secretaryโ€™s Alan J. Rothman Award for Housing Accessibility; Cosecha Court II Farmworker Housing received a 2019 Judges Special Award of Excellence from the Gold Nugget Awards; and Plaza Roberto Maestas was honored with the 2019 Urban Land Instituteโ€™s Jack Kemp Award for Affordable and Workforce Housing. SMR Architects also was recognized with a 2017 Friend of Housing Award by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission for exceptional contributions to creating and supporting affordable housing in the state.

๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—™๐˜‚๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ง๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟYesterday, SMR was proud to sponsor and attend African Community Housing & Development 3rd Annu...
10/16/2026

๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—™๐˜‚๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ง๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ
Yesterday, SMR was proud to sponsor and attend African Community Housing & Development 3rd Annual Journey Home Luncheon!

The theme, โ€œBreaking Ground for Our Future,โ€ felt especially meaningful as we are working with ACHD on the African Diaspora Cultural Anchor Village, a 129-unit community designed by and for the African Diaspora immigrant and refugee community. Developed with Mercy Housing Northwest, it will bring together affordable family housing, wrap-around services, and more than 50,000 square feet of cultural space.

Thank you, ACHD, for your vision! Together, weโ€™re building futures.

๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ธ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐—ฉ๐—ถ๐—น๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ดEarlier this week, we were thrilled to celebrate the Grand Opening of Creekside Village o...
10/16/2026

๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ธ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ ๐—ฉ๐—ถ๐—น๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—š๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด
Earlier this week, we were thrilled to celebrate the Grand Opening of Creekside Village on Vashon Island! SMR designed this 41-unit affordable housing community, and it was a joy to join Shelter America Group and the Vashon community for the ribbon-cutting.
More than a decade in the making, Creekside Village brings much-needed homes for island seniors, families, and workers.

Congratulations to everyone who made it happen, and welcome home to the new residents!

๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—›๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒLast week, the SMR team had a great time at Bellwether Housing's Closer to Home event! We were...
10/16/2026

๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—›๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ
Last week, the SMR team had a great time at Bellwether Housing's Closer to Home event! We were proud to support the event as a sponsor and enjoyed hearing keynote speaker Raj Chetty talk about how stable, affordable housing shapes a childโ€™s future. Thank you to Bellwether Housing for the work you do to create homes for families, seniors, veterans, and neighbors across King County, and to everyone who joined us for a meaningful afternoon.

๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€: ๐—ฌ๐—ช๐—–๐—” ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฒOctober is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this week weโ€™re spotligh...
10/15/2026

๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€: ๐—ฌ๐—ช๐—–๐—” ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and this week weโ€™re spotlighting YWCA Opportunity Place, a project that reflects YWCA Seattle King Snohomish's mission of providing safety, stability, and opportunity.

Completed in November 2003, this seven-story, 105,000-square-foot facility in Belltown addresses long-term homelessness by bringing together 145 units of permanent affordable housing, Angelineโ€™s Center for Homeless Women, and the Opportunity Place Employment & Learning Center under one roof. Built for a 100-year lifespan, the red brick structure was funded through a $42.7 million campaign and earned top honors, including the 2005 NCBC/NAHB Chairmanโ€™s Award and the Fannie Mae Foundation Maxwell Award of Excellence.

Thanks for taking a look back with us! We canโ€™t wait to reveal next weekโ€™s building.

๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ง๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟProud to share that Mason on Madison Family Housing in Tacomaโ€™s Proctor district has received...
10/15/2026

๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ง๐—ผ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ๐—ฟ
Proud to share that Mason on Madison Family Housing in Tacomaโ€™s Proctor district has received $952,000 in Pierce County funding! We're honored to be the design team behind 101 new homes to the neighborhood, including units for families at 30%, 40%, and 60% AMI, individuals experiencing homelessness, and those with physical and developmental disabilities.

Mason is one of several projects sharing about $11.4 million in new county funding for affordable housing in Tacoma and DuPont. Thank you to Mason United Methodist Church, Mercy Housing, our project partners, and the Pierce County Council!

Read more in The News Tribune below.

Projects approved include the 101-unit โ€œMason on Madisonโ€ development in Tacomaโ€™s Proctor District.

๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€: ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—นIn honor of the Whatcom Housing Alliance's upcoming Housing Week, weโ€™re stepping back...
10/08/2026

๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€: ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—ฒ ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—น
In honor of the Whatcom Housing Alliance's upcoming Housing Week, weโ€™re stepping back to the turn of the century with todayโ€™s showcase: the historic Laube Hotel in Bellingham!

Built in 1903 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this three-story building was revitalized through a historic tax credit rehabilitation. In 2008, SMR designed the project for Bellingham & Whatcom County Housing Authorities, converting the upper floors into 20 living units across 12,120 square feet. Upgrades included new plumbing, fire sprinklers, electric heating, ventilation, an accessible laundry room, and improved commercial space.

Next weekโ€™s Affordable Housing Week features a series of in-person and online events that build awareness and support for creative approaches to the housing crisis. Learn more by clicking the link in the comments below.

See you next time for our latest feature!

๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€: ๐—ก๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ดWe are kicking off our countdown with a look back at where it all began: the Nord B...
10/01/2026

๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€: ๐—ก๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฑ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด
We are kicking off our countdown with a look back at where it all began: the Nord Building!

As SMR's very first project on record, this ground-up renovation was designed for Harley S. Sullivan to transform three vacant floors above street-level retail into seven apartments (five two-bedroom units and two studios) at 314 First Avenue South in Seattle. Highlights of this 1890s brick and wood-frame structure included a circular stair within a two-level unit, light wells to all two-bedroom units, a rooftop recreation deck, and a fireplace in every home. The project was rehabilitated for $300,000, with financing through Seattle Trust & Savings Bank and HUD Section 312.

Decades later, the Nord Building remains the foundation of our passion for adaptive reuse. Check back next week for our upcoming milestone project!

๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€In October 2027, SMR Architects turns 50! To celebrate, weโ€™re highlighting 50 milestone projects f...
09/30/2026

๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€, ๐Ÿฑ๐Ÿฌ ๐—•๐˜‚๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€
In October 2027, SMR Architects turns 50! To celebrate, weโ€™re highlighting 50 milestone projects from our portfolio of more than 200 projects that defined our firm along the way. Starting in October 2026, weโ€™ll feature one project each week, counting down to our anniversary. From affordable housing to historic rehabilitation, each project tells part of our story and reflects the communities weโ€™ve been fortunate to work alongside. Follow along here on Facebook or on our website!

๐—–๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—›๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ, ๐—›๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ, ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝGreat morning at VOAWW's Hope is Brewing breakfast with our partners at Volunteer...
09/25/2026

๐—–๐—ฒ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—›๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ, ๐—›๐—ผ๐—บ๐—ฒ, ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ
Great morning at VOAWW's Hope is Brewing breakfast with our partners at Volunteers of America Western Washington and Beacon Development Group, the team behind the newly opened Ballington Flats. Thank you, VOAWW, for the invitation and all you do for our community, from providing critical housing like Ballington Flats to supporting regional efforts like the Everett Community Food Bank!

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117 South Main Street, Suite 400
Seattle, WA
98104

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