Docomomo WEWA

06/02/2026

Built in 1955 for civic activists Stim and Kay Bullitt, the modern H-shaped residence at 1125 Harvard Avenue E broke Capitol Hill tradition with its innovative A-frame design, radiant-heated floors, and unique skylights. Designed by Fred Bassetti to reflect Stim’s love for the outdoors, the home featured soaring vaulted ceilings, a massive stone fireplace, and expansive grounds landscaped by Eckbo, Royston, and Williams. For over fifty years, this informal family estate served as a vital progressive hub, hosting historic political meetings like the Keechelus Group and legendary summer picnics that united Seattle's political and social elite.

The home was built on the former Henry mansion site in Seattle’s historic Harvard–Belmont district, the Bullitt House is carefully integrated into its landscaped setting between Lake Union and Volunteer Park. Mature trees, gardens, and a covered approach create a sense of privacy, while the house’s partial daylight basement responds to the sloping site.

The residence is organized as an H-shaped composition of three volumes: a dramatic post-and-beam A-frame wing, a central entry pavilion, and a bedroom wing. Large glulam beams, a steep roof with translucent ridge panels, deep overhangs, skylights, and expansive windows emphasize natural light and structural expression. Exterior materials include vertical tongue-and-groove wood siding and Welchboard plywood panels.

The A-frame wing contains the home’s signature space, a soaring living and dining room with tall gable-end glazing, an open loft, and a freestanding circular fireplace set against a stone wall. Exposed beams, slate floors, custom wood detailing, and strong connections to the surrounding landscape exemplify the home’s warm mid-century modern design.

If you would like to learn much more about the full history of the Bullitt House, visit our website at docomomo-wewa.org/modern-places/bullitt-house/

05/21/2026

Don't miss this student-designed exhibit at the University of Washington's College of Built Environments. "CITY ERASED: Mapping Seattle’s Highway Cut" is on display in the Gould Gallery through May 29.

The exhibit "explores the legacy of urban revision and displacement caused by the construction of I-5 in Seattle. The project reshaped neighborhoods, displaced communities and transformed the city in the name of progress. Through archival research, mapping and digital reconstruction, students are rebuilding a portrait of the city as it existed before the freeway’s construction." The project was led by Dept of Architecture Lecturer Elisa Renouard.

The exhibition CITY ERASED: Mapping Seattle’s Highway Cut reconstructs the neighborhoods and communities displaced by the construction of I-5.

05/21/2026

In honor of the recent passing of architect, Leon Bridges, Sr., FAIA, DOCOMOMO US/WEWA celebrates his legacy as a trailblazer in architecture and his lasting impact in Seattle as the owner of the second Black-owned architectural firm in Seattle, which he established in 1964.

Born on August 18, 1932, in East Los Angeles, California, Bridges developed an early interest in architecture and, while attending Adams Junior High School, met his mentor, renowned Black architect Paul Williams. He attended East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles City College, and University of California, Los Angeles before being drafted into the Army in 1952, where he continued studying architecture while stationed in Japan. After returning to the US in 1955, he attended the University of Washington, earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1959. He later worked for the firm Gotteland & Koczarski from 1961–1963 and received his architectural license in 1961.

Throughout his career, Bridges was deeply involved in professional and civil rights organizations, serving as National AIA Director, co-founding the AIA/Ford Minority Scholarship Fund in 1976, and holding every national office within National Organization of Minority Architects, including president. He also mentored students through the NAACP ACT-SO program and served in leadership roles with the Seattle Urban League, King County Planning Commission, and Leschi Improvement Club. In 1986, he became a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and earned an MBA from Loyola University Maryland.
Bridges received more than two dozen awards for design excellence, including recognition for the restoration of Pennsylvania Station and Baltimore City College. Later in his career, he became a partner in The Obsidian Group, a North Carolina-based architecture and planning firm, and was honored as a 2025 Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Washington.

Leon Bridges, Sr. passed away on April 13, 2026 at the age of 93.

More about Bridges can be found on our website here: https://www.docomomo-wewa.org/architect/bridges-leon/

Or on this webpage from the University of Washington: In Memoriam: Leon Bridges, Sr., FAIA, NOMAC. https://arch.be.uw.edu/memorial-leon-bridges-sr-faia-nomac/

05/15/2026

An architectural gem in Innis Arden (Shorelilne) designed by Anker Molver and Bob Marquette is for sale! We toured the Mathieson House (built 1954; Seattle Times/AIA Home-of-the-Month, May 1954) back in 2011. The home has only had two owners. The current owner has been a great steward for almost 30 years. Check out the residence in person during open houses this Friday-Sunday (May 15-17). Photo credit: ARINS Media. See listing for details: https://tinyurl.com/bde75yh9

05/08/2026

Don't miss this upcoming History Cafe program from our friends at MOHAI! On May 20, join HistoryLink’s Tony Williams for a live recording of the Field Notes podcast featuring UW Architecture Professor Vikram Prakash as they dig into the intersection of deep time and urban design to discover how Seattle’s geological past continues to shape its future.

Registration is now open for May History Café: Field Notes Podcast, Architecture Edition!

Join HistoryLink’s Tony Williams for a live recording of the Field Notes podcast featuring UW Architecture Professor Vikram Prakash. We’re digging into the intersection of deep time and urban design to discover how Seattle’s geological past continues to shape its future. Learn more and register ➞ https://bit.ly/4t97uRY

History Café is produced as a partnership between HistoryLink.org, the Pacific Northwest Historians Guild, and MOHAI.

📷: Woody Herman radio interview, Seattle, November 7, 1947
MOHAI, Al Smith Collection, 2014.49.002.021.0068

04/14/2026

On a mild and gloomy Saturday afternoon, Docomomo US/WEWA had the honor of touring the Glickman House for the second time in the Wedgwood neighborhood of Seattle, WA. We toured this wonderful mid-century modern residence in 2011 and the current owners graciously agreed to open up their home again 15 years later. Many thanks to Ann and Richard for welcoming us into your home and to all who attended. Cheers!

03/31/2026

Hard to believe that just over a week ago we were in Los Angeles for the 19th International Docomomo Conference. It was a great conference! We met so many amazing people from all over the world who gathered to learn from one another and to see the some of LA’s outstanding modern architecture.

Big thanks to ; ; the chapter; ; and the for organizing and supporting the conference.

Docomomo US/WEWA was thrilled to be a sponsor. Several board members and other local members attended to represent Washington state. Big thanks to our friend Zack for designing and creating the cool postcard and pin we included as swag for the attendees’ totes.

Photos by Eugenia Woo

03/26/2026

Audrey (Jupp) Van Horne was born in New York City in 1924 and grew up in New Jersey. She studied architecture at the University of Michigan before transferring to Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, where she studied under Walter Gropius and earned her Master of Architecture in 1947. While at Harvard, she met her future husband and business partner, John Van Horne.

After graduating, the couple married and began a shared career in design, painting, and photography. They gained early experience with New York firms Nemeny & Geller and Raymond & Rado before moving to Seattle in 1948. There, John worked for Paul Thiry and later Bassetti & Morse, while Audrey focused on raising their family and remained engaged in education.

John established his own firm in 1951, and in 1956 Audrey joined, forming Van Horne & Van Horne Architects. The practice began with residential work, designing custom homes across the Seattle area that integrated creative spaces and responded to their surroundings, before expanding into commercial and institutional projects. By the mid-1960s, the firm took on public and community-focused work, including projects for the Seattle Public School District, as well as low-income housing in collaboration with developer Norward Brooks and the Federal Housing Administration, a trajectory that continued into the 1970s.

In the 1980s, the firm became a woman-owned business with Audrey holding a 51% stake. As a WBE (Women Business Enterprise), it broadened its scope to include projects such as the Hippo Viewing Area expansion (1981) and the Tropical/Nocturnal House renovation (1985) at Woodland Park Zoo, followed by the Volunteer Park Conservatory renovation (1993).

The firm closed in 2008. Audrey remained engaged in environmentally responsive design and lived for many years in the Seattle home she and John designed and built in 1953.
Audrey passed away at the age of 101 on January 20, 2026. She was a great friend of Docomomo US/WEWA. We will miss her.

Read more about Audrey on our website here: https://www.docomomo-wewa.org/architect/van-horne-audrey/

03/13/2026

Docomomo US/WEWA’s chapter president, Eugenia Woo, has a vintage postcard collection that never disappoints! Among her collection are postcards featuring several well‑known restaurants and places in Seattle’s Chinatown–International District (CID).

Although Gim Ling Restaurant has closed its doors, the building at 516 7th Avenue South still stands, housing different restaurants over the years (including China Gate which also closed).

Bush Garden, described on the back of its postcard as “Seattle’s world famous and distinguished Japanese restaurant,” has long been a neighborhood beacon. Once considered a destination that attracted celebrities, politicians, and many Seattle locals, the restaurant closed in 2020 during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Plans are underway for it to reopen in 2026 at Uncle Bob’s Place, a contemporary building a couple blocks away.

The familiar Oriental Pavilion and mural still stand today in Hing Hay Park on 423 Maynard Ave S. On any given sunny day, you can find elders playing Chinese chess, happy visitors digging into local food, and plenty more community activity.

The storefront design of the Hong Kong Restaurant at 507 Maynard has changed drastically since this vintage postcard was printed. The original restaurant closed many years ago and the historic neon sign was replaced with a replica LED sign. The current restaurant interior has been updated and no longer reflects the character shown in the postcard.

Our Chinatown-International District was named to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 2023 list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places due to ongoing threats from development, gentrification, and displacement. We encourage you to continue supporting the many small businesses that keep this beloved neighborhood vibrant.

02/27/2026

Check out this cool MCM house designed by John Burrows in Lake Forest Park. It's for sale! Open houses this weekend--February 27, 28 and 29. Thanks to Kimberly Shay for letting us know about this great house.

For sale: 4 bed, 3 bath, 2,300 SQFT house. Step inside this well-maintained 1960 architect-designed mid-century modern by renowned John Burrows... $1,200,000.