The Bumgardner Architects -- Architects Prefer Projects That Have Redeeming Value
The Bumgardner Architects started building homes for the growing families of the early 1950s.
(These were the first houses for the baby boomers, although nobody had a name for them at that time.)
Then, in the 1960s, the architects built a lot of colleges.
(Sort of transitional housing for the baby boomers, again, as they became of age.)
And for the past decade the company has been emphasizing elegant multifamily residences and homes providing for special needs.
(Places those always-inventive but aging baby boomers can come home to.)
Partner David Wright doesn't think there is such a thing as a ``Bumgardner style.'' And he thinks that is just fine.
``We try not to have a Bumgardner architectural style,'' he said. ``We do things more in context. People say `nice renovation work' on our new buildings, which is a pleasing comment.''
Often visitors to their First and Stewart offices downtown compliment him on the fine remodeling work performed on the old building - except that it is a new building they designed, built by Prescott Inc. in 1987.
The Bumgardner Architects, named after founder Al Bumgardner, who died in 1987, has been busy on more than $114 million worth of projects, earning $2.5 million in fees in 1989, a total reflecting steady growth in the past decade.
Projects include low-income housing, private clubhouses and theaters, office and multifamily buildings, and residences providing for special needs.
The company employs 32, including 22 architects, five interior designers and support staff.
Mark Ashley, the company's public relations director, says the company has a distinction of turning down work it finds unappealing or ill-planned.
``We don't take on clients whom we don't like,'' said Ashley. ``The firm has had a long-standing tradition of commitment to the community, where we do work which doesn't necessarily make a huge profit but is something in which we believe.''
According to Wright, believing in a project means becoming heavily involved in the dynamics between developers, builders and contractors.
``We don't start at the front-end of a project,'' he said. ``We start at the moment we talk and we don't stop until the building is occupied.''
Tom Walsh of Walsh Construction has worked with The Bumgardner Architects on many projects, including the Alexander Court in Seattle and Riverplace in Portland, and finds that the company is always prepared to exceed expectations.
``One of our first projects together was very budget-sensitive, and the people at Bumgardner were just first-class to work with, accepting our suggestions in order to stay within the budget,'' he said.
``Other times I have been in that kind of relationship with other firms the architects have resented me, feeling that I was infringing on their freedom.''
He tells the story of the time architect Mark Simpson approached him after construction had begun on a site.
``He said that the entry just looked blah and suggested that I do some columns, offering to design them and to build the forms,'' said Walsh. ``I said, `Great, what do you know about building intricate forms?' but Simpson had worked for three years for a contractor and he did an excellent job. The columns were essentially a gift from the contractor and architect to the project. It was great fun.''
Whimsical stories aside, the company hammers at its internal organizational skills with intricate tracking of project costs. Ashley says they just try to not let it interfere with creativity, communication and the occasional surprising gift to a client.
Managing partner Jennie Sue Brown has a hard time defining the management strategy that led ``Seattle Business'' magazine to designate the company as one of the top 20 companies to work for in the Seattle area.
``We understand chaos,'' she said. ``I'm the one keeping an eye on it and know where it is.'' She laughs. ``I'm not directing it, just keeping track.''
Despite the popularity of many nouveau theories of modern management techniques, their style is apparently straight-forward.
``We attempt to be as open as possible,'' said Brown. ``I think clients appreciate us for being able to listen to their needs, and we consider that a great compliment. It goes along with our intent to serve client needs rather than our own ego-objective.
``There is always a desire to impose what one may feel is right, but Al Bumgardner used to say, `You are doing what you do for the client, they have to be comfortable.' We try to be good neighbors. If we do have a Bumgardner style, that is it.''
Wright said that the absence of strict policies means ideas can come from anywhere. If they prove their worth, they are accepted.
``I know that I am not a good delegator of responsibility,'' he said. ``We don't do that. We create an environment where people can seize responsibility, and have a chance to grow at their own pace and show their stuff.''
He says the company receives a resume a day but has such a low turnover that openings are rarely available.
``People we do hire are generalists, not specialists,'' he said. ``They are all designers with well-rounded skills, although different people do different functions on different jobs.
``In one case, a designer felt his specific design skills were being used too much and wanted to follow a project through to the end. He did that, and it worked out very well.''
The architectural profession survives on the precarious edge of multimillion-dollar building-development deals, fraught with sudden changes and long, painful falls. By the time a private developer goes public with a decision to build on a site, it may be too late to enter a proposal.
Staff members are active on numerous community boards and maintain a loose-knit word-of-mouth network among developers and builders. A full-time public relations person keeps tabs on the dynamics of area investments. But personal styles also can contribute; one architect landed a major contract for the company by learning of development plans over a poker game.
Despite some noteworthy work in Portland and Alaska, theater design around the country, and some possible work in the Midwest, the company rarely seeks work outside of the Northwest unless a job feels right.
The reason is two-fold. The staff likes to go home at night and distance can complicate the work.
``We like to know our clients and to have them participate in the design process,'' said Brown. ``That is hard to do over long distances.''
The company started out in the home of founder Al Bumgardner in 1953, moved to a residential neighborhood on the edge of Lake Union, relocated downtown and then settled into the 101 Stewart Building in 1987.
Current projects under design or being built in Seattle include the Claremont Hotel, Victoria Apartments, 1800 Eastlake, Fishermen's Center, Pike Market Congregate Care Residence, A Special Residence for AIDS Housing of Washington, The Rainier Club, golf clubhouses and private clubs.
The company became involved in clubhouses because of renovation expert Robert Schneider and interior designer Madora Lawson, who have earned national reputations for their work in theaters and hotels.
Wright has been active in developing plans that allow the incorporation of special-needs housing in urban neighborhoods, providing for people of all ages who have fallen prey to the dangers of modern life.
``The modern-day environment wears people out,'' he said. ``It is incumbent upon those of us who have reaped benefits to help those who have fallen by the wayside.''
The Bumgardner Architects was chosen out of a competition of 19 architects to design the $6 million residence for people with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, the first in the nation, which will be built this year in the Madison Valley.
Betsy Lieberman, executive director of AIDS Housing of Washington, said the project presents unique design challenges to the architects because solutions must satisfy city officials, neighbors, clients and the specific needs of the medical staff running the programs within the building.
``Bumgardner Architects has done wonderfully, going over and beyond the call,'' she said, saying staff members have attended lengthy community meetings and the company has made itsoffices available for conferences.
``David Wright has even donated antique quilts, given to him years ago by Al Bumgardner, which will eventually be hung in the new building,'' she said.
Strategies weekly in the Business Monday section of The Seattle Times.
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THE BUMGARDNER ARCHITECTS
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EMPLOYEES: 32
HEADQUARTERS: 101 Stewart St.
BUSINESS: Architecture and interior design
MANAGING PRINCIPAL: Jennie Sue Brown
VALUE OF 1989 PROJECTS: $114 million
1989 REVENUE: $2.5 million
CLIENTS: Private developers of commercial and
residential property
MAJOR COMPETITORS: Local and national design
companies
STRATEGY: The company focuses on seeking out
design direction from neighborhood contexts,
encouraging client participation, and hiring
staff that takes initiative and
responsibility.
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