staff

Rob Harrison, AIA - Principal

I have over 29 years of experience as a design professional, including 22 years as principal of my own firm. I grew up in a small town in northeastern Ohio and studied architecture at the University of Toronto. From my first project onward, my school work centered on sustainable design. My thesis (with my teacher Alberto Perez-Gomez) was inspired by my summer in Seattle in 1978. Titled "The Return of the Seasons", it was a landscape art project in High Park in Toronto that explored ways of connecting architecture with the cycle of the seasons. After graduation from University of Toronto in 1979 I moved to New York City and pursued parallel careers in architecture and music. I worked as a draftsperson for Buckminster Fuller and Isamu Noguchi, for residential architect Alfredo DeVido, and recorded and performed music with Glenn Branca, Sussan Deyhim, and Christian Marclay among others. In 1984 I opened my own design office. My practice in New York included high end residential interiors and commercial office renovations. I returned to Seattle in 1990 to pursue work in line with my values. In 1992 I opened my own office again, dedicated exclusively to green architecture.

A co-founder of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild in 1992, I was executive editor of the Guild's journal EcoBuilding Times from 1993 through 1999. I was a board member of the Pike Market Child Care Center from 1992 through 1996, and developed specifications for the use of healthier materials and finishes for a renovation at the Center. I have facilitated workshops on green design at Building with Value '93 and '96, Celebration of Community, and for permit reviewers at King County DDES. I have given talks for University of Washington students and the City of Seattle rainwater conference as well as for members of American Society of Interior Designers, American Institute of Architects, Master Builder Association of King and Snohomish Counties, Voluntary Simplicity Association, Seattle Tilth, King County Master Recyclers and Northwest EcoBuilding Guild chapters in Seattle, Portland and Olympia. With my firm I have been a participant in AIA Seattle's "What Makes It GREEN?" program since its inception, and I served as a panelist in 2004.

Education

• Passive House Consultant Training, Summer 2009
  An intensive nine-day training in the principles and techniques of designing Passive Houses.
  
• Architecture + Children Level I Workshop
  An integrated approach to the education of children through architecture, this workshop is preparation for teaching the curriculum in schools, or involving children in the process of design.
• University of Toronto,
  Bachelor of Architecture, 1979
• Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio, 1973 - 1974
  Studies in comparative literature, history of art and architecture.

Professional Registration

• Registed Architect, State of Washington
• Certified Passive House Consultant

Affiliations

• American Institute of Architects
• Passive House Northwest
• Northwest EcoBuilding Guild
• Seattle Tilth

Geoff Briggs - Senior Staff

I entered the world of buildings as a union carpenter working heavy construction. Soon after I attended trade school and began a long career as a furniture maker and custom craftsman, a position I still enjoy despite spending most of time now in design and project management.

In the 90s I learned, then taught CAD, and immediately gravitated to 3D design. CAD opened the door to architecture jobs; architecture opened my eyes to broader possibilities for design and more intelligent uses for computers in the design industry. That led me to ArchiCAD, SketchUp and Revit.

Being a lifetime environmentalist and wilderness lover my primary professional goal is to advance sustainability in the built environment. For the last few years I have extensively studied a broad range of green building strategies and synergies. I completed the Sustainable Building Advisor program and attend numerous workshops and seminars through the AIA, BetterBricks and Cascadia GBC.

I have done my share of freelance work but prefer the tribe. As a team player who likes to collaborate, I believe that whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Specialties
Building Information Modeling, Sustainable Design, Knowledge Management, Peace in the Barnyard

Professional Experience

• HARRISON architects, Seattle, WA,  July 2009 - Present
  
• Graphisoft ArchiCAD Beta Tester, Worldwide
  
• I & I Design Owner, Seattle, WA
  
• EDGE LLC, Seattle, WA
  
• Latini-Kirkendall Architecture, Seattle, WA
• Elliott Bay Woodworks Co-Founder, Seattle, WA

Education

• National Sustainable Building Advisor Program, Certified Sustainable Building Advisor, Seattle, WA, 2007
  
• Seattle Central Community College, Certificate of Cabinetmaking and Millwork, Seattle, WA, 1986
  
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, Cognitive Science Study, 1979 - 1983

Professional Registration

• Certified Sustainable Building Advisor