“On Monday one of the city’s largest food banks opened a new “Hub for Hope” around the corner from the old blue building it rented for years on Leary Avenue. With half-vaulted high ceilings, orange accent poles and awnings, and double the square footage, it’s a more modern-looking space than its predecessor. The addition of more windows means more natural light, establishing a welcoming, inclusive environment.”

Source: Seattle Met

Image: Ross Eckert

“At 11,000 square feet, the new site is twice as big and is the first building owned by the organization — allowing staff to not only build up existing services but also broaden their reach and add new community spaces, including a café with items free of charge.”

Source: The Seattle Times

Image: Ross Eckert

“The 17th annual Hospitality Design award presented Leftcraft Taproom as the winner for the ‘Best Casual Restaurant’ category for 2021.”

Source: Hospitality Design

Image: Haris Kenjar

“The design challenge was to bring the house up-to-date without sacrificing its essential character; the solution was a two-track approach to the remodel. Public spaces—the entry and dining room, those areas most defined by their use of cedar—would receive a light touch, while private areas of the home—areas receiving the heaviest use and needing the most updates—would be modernized and updated for contemporary living. Throughout all areas, updates to the home were carefully considered to honor the original design.”

Source: Home World Design

Image: Haris Kenjar

“You have to be efficient with your space because you have a small footprint, but all of the primary, programmatic elements and functions of a larger office still need to be there,” said Jim Graham, co-founder of Seattle-based Graham Baba Architects. “If you have 2,000 square feet or 26,000 square feet, the actual individual spaces (such as a kitchen or conference room) aren’t that much different in size because the number of employees using them at any one given time is about the same. You just need more efficiency.”

Source: LoopNet

Image: Rafael Soldi

“Old buildings need not be grand or architecturally significant to be reused. Take a diminutive machine shop in Seattle's trendy Ballard neighborhood that was transformed into a cannabis shop.”

Source: World Architects

Image: Andrew Pogue

“The Ballard Food Bank plans in October to open its new headquarters at 1400 N.W. Leary Way in Seattle, which the organization said will provide a permanent and secure base for its operations and address increased needs within the community.”

Source: The Daily Journal of Commerce

Image: Graham Baba Architects

“Saint Bread tapped Melissa Glenn and Jim Graham at GBA to design the space, along with the site’s master plan architects Weber Thompson. “We were all committed to keeping the machine shop’s character and adding to the history of craft on the Jensen Marina,” says Saito. The bones of the original structure remain, from the exterior siding to the rafters and beams and the main entry’s sliding barn doors. That “Saint Bread” stained glass window is a collaboration between Factory North & Studio Superconductor.”

Source: The Eater

Image: Kate Murphy

“For Brett Baba of Seattle's Graham Baba Architects, island living "merges notions of physical and psychological separation... the feeling of removing oneself from day-to-day experiences – a sense of retreat. It taps into romantic ideas about escape, about minimising the constructs of society and a return to nature, and of course the intimacy that comes from gathering with family and friends."

Source: BBC

Image: Graham Baba Architects

“If the foundation and location of a house are strong, hope for its renovation should be too. Here, Graham Baba Architects has restored a 1960s beachfront cabin on Seattle’s Mercer Island. Originally closed off from the expansive water views, the structure has been rethought to open the living space to the sea.”

Source: Nuvo

Image: Kevin Scott

“In the early days of the pandemic, bars and restaurants took over sidewalks and even streets,” says Jim Graham, a principal of Graham Baba Architects. “In the beginning, the makeshift stuff was endearing, then, as time went on, it seemed too haphazard and rough. When winter storms arrived, tents turned tattered and torn.” Graham believes these structures need to be redesigned for permanence.”

Source: Restaurant Development + Design

Image: Ross Eckert

“Transport interiors should be designed to help calm and soothe travelers. While this aim should be extended to concourses, gates and terminal, airport lounges, such as the Alaska Airlines Flagship Lounge in Seattle, serve as an example par excellence of how designers can create transitory spaces repose from the anxieties related to transit journeys. While lounge typologies are widely assumed to be exclusive havens for business travelers, Graham Baba Architects sought to offer a warm and welcoming space for guests to refuel and connect. At the heart of their concept was the desire to create a seamless range of experiences so that travelers could find their own sense of homey comfort.”

Source: Architizer

Image: Ross Eckert

“Sustainable features include rainwater cisterns that collect and recycle all on-site rainwater, roof-top solar panels, energy efficient radiant heating, thermally efficient, operable windows on the north and south sides of the building to encouraging cross ventilation, and operable sunshades on the exterior. The modest size of the lot— 4,300-square-feet—meant that every square inch of space of was organized as efficiently as possible in order to maximize usable/leasable areas.”

Source: ArchiDiaries

Image: Kevin Scott

“Unico renovated the 2,128-square-foot apartment in 2020, with Graham Baba Architects and Valor Builds on the team. It has one bedroom, a guest space and two 3/4 baths on the 37th floor and an open living room, kitchen and dining on the 38th floor.”

Source: Daily Journal of Commerce

Image: Tim Van Asselt

“The L-shaped building is nested into the landscape through the use of board-formed concrete site walls and earthen berms that wrap the perimeter to form a central, landscaped courtyard. Soil excavated for foundation work was repurposed for the perimeter berms, eliminating the need to remove it or add more. A notch through the berm provides access from the parking area to the formal courtyard and building entrance.”

Source: ArchiDiaries

Image: Kevin Scott

“The Smith Tower penthouse boasts 360-degree views of Elliott Bay, Mount Rainier, and our two local mountain ranges. Not to mention, the amazing space has been renovated by Graham Baba Architects and Valor Builds. So that means you get to enjoy the amazing character of this space with modern amenities.”

Source: Curiocity

Image: Tim Van Asselt

“The design explores the contrast between new and old in materials, colors and textures. The infill building, modified many times during it’s existence, has concrete walls and floors and a tongue-and-groove Douglas fir ceiling, all of which were cleaned and left exposed to express the building’s character.”

Source: Daily Journal of Commerce

Image: Haris Kenjar

“Listed for the first time since it was renovated in the late ’90s, the 2,128-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment spans two levels. A catwalk surrounds the living room, and triangular windows offer views of the city and Elliott Bay. Take the staircase to reach the glass globe at the very top of the tower…The space has since been renovated to a minimalist contemporary design “stripped back to the essence of Smith Tower,” said architect Jim Graham, who designed the new penthouse.”

Source: Seattle Times

Image: Tim Van Asselt

“North American design is extraordinarily diverse. From Canada and the United States to Mexico, trailblazing architects are giving shape to new ideas across many different programs and contexts. As Architizer’s prestigious A+Awards program attests, firms across this vast continent are innovating like never before, with dozens of projects placing among last year’s Winners and Finalists.”

Source: Architizer

Image: Ross Eckert

“Jim Graham and Brett Baba share a combined industry experience of over 50 years. Their extensive background in design has served as a strong foundation for the team to create vibrant and successful commercial, residential, and art spaces projects in Seattle. In 2007, Graham Baba Architects was born and has since then created award-winning and nationally-recognized works.”

Source: Seattle Architects

Image: Graham Baba Architects