During the development of Bothell City Hall the design team was charged by the Historic Preservation & Landmarks Board to relate our use of masonry to the historic brick facades of Downtown Bothell. These buildings were constructed at a time when bricks shared both structural and ornamental functions. The facades reflect an understanding of the building material and its placement — a relationship between structure and texture. The rich patterns are evidence of a craft rooted in the relationship of hand and brick.
Fast forward… 2011. The role of masonry (specifically brick) has changed. With its structural capabilities diminished, the module is now used as a skin. Furthermore, the tools for designing and constructing with brick have also shifted from the hand to the machine. The current context is much different than the scenario we had been asked to relate to, and our design strategy would need to respond to that.
It’s enlightening to compare two approaches to the same problem 50 years apart. 
It’s been a long road. I’m not just talking about the six-hour round trip drives from Seattle to Moses Lake.
As November comes to a close I’m reminded of two major fall events (other than the Apple Cup): the November election, and the AIA Seattle Honor Awards. David Miller already posted an excellent 
Veterans Day has always held a special significance for me. My grandfather flew the first fighter jets over Korea, and spent the rest of his career with the Air Force. From an early age, he instilled in me a deep sense of national pride and respect for those who have sacrificed to serve our country. When members of the Snoqualmie branch of the American Legion [Renton-Pickering Post #79] contacted me about helping them design a Veterans’ Memorial in downtown Snoqualmie, I was quick to jump on board. 
The Memorial itself occupies a formerly vacant lot adjacent to American Legion Hall and across the street from the Snoqualmie City Hall. It includes a granite tablet engraved with names of all the known soldiers who fought for their country and hailed from the Snoqualmie river valley. There are six flags representing each branch of the armed services: Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines. The flags are backed by a low curving stone wall, composed of local andesite, which was recently removed the bedrock below Snoqualmie Falls. There is also a living memorial in the form of a newly planted London Plane tree, surround by nine boulders. Each boulder comes from a different town in the valley, and is symbolic of these communities coming together to remember and honor those who fought to protect them. 
