Rick Sundberg is fascinated with urban settings and the mystery of what makes cities work.
Sundberg pairs meticulous attention to physical detail with a broad architectural vision and the insistence on viewing sites and buildings in their larger context. The firm’s projects in downtown Seattle demonstrate Sundberg’s high level of commitment to the idea of urbanism. These buildings are strengthened and enriched by their context, and the buildings in turn add richness and diversity to the districts in which they are located. Implicit in the idea of context is that of community, and Sundberg’s urban structures contribute to the development of community in their surrounding neighborhoods.
Sundberg’s reputation is rooted in the tradition of making. With over forty years of hands-on experience in the making of buildings, Sundberg is aptly described as an “architect’s architect.” He is concerned about the process of design, about how buildings are put together physically, about the nature of materials and the crafts involved in assembling them. Through the depth of his immersion in the processes of design and building he has helped the firm create a body of work that is never less than brilliant on the functional level, and yet offers something more—the simple grace and purposeful clarity of solid, timeless architecture.
Sundberg is a frequent juror and lecturer (he has served as a juror for the National Endowment for the Arts), and is often called upon to comment on the responsibilities of buildings to their environments. He recently served as chair of the Seattle Design Commission where he represented the city providing design counsel for such notable projects as the Seattle Downtown Library, the Experience Music Project, and the expansion of the Seattle Civic Center at the Washington State Convention Center.
A graduate of the University of Washington, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Sundberg worked with Ibsen Nelsen Architects for seven years as a project architect, helping them design and craft complex academic buildings. He joined Olson/Walker in 1974, and became a partner in 1976. In 1985, the firm became Olson Sundberg Architects and Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects in 2000. Sundberg is a member of the AIA College of Fellows.