DALLAS , TX - Fueled by several national clients in the Pacific Northwest, Humphreys & Partners Architects LP has hired Carl J. Colson, a well-known architect with 33 years' experience, as regional director to launch an office in Seattle.
Colson will work closely with Amy Shives, the architectural firm's business development salesperson in Spokane, Wash., to build a project pipeline throughout the region.
"Seattle is a good strategic market for us and will be a springboard to Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia," says Greg Faulkner, president of Dallas-based Humphreys & Partners, the largest multifamily architectural firm in the nation.
Through the years, the Humphreys' team had often discussed opening an office in the Pacific Northwest. "We have clients and projects there. The key was we happened to run across the right person. We've just found the right guy," Faulkner says. "We'll have a very successful office in Seattle with Carl running it."
Colson, an independent well-known architect, will retire his namesake firm's shingle to lead Humphreys' expansion. "I know the Northwest market well and the trends in this area that influence the multifamily product type," he stresses. "I'm also aware of building design constraints and the requirements that our climate requires."
Colson's market knowledge will be the basis for Humphreys' business development campaign targeting new clients and projects. The first-year goal is to secure at least six to eight multifamily development projects and add design and support staff accordingly. By the end of the first quarter, the new office location will be decided upon.
Seattle's fast-recovering multifamily market conditions are driving Humphreys' decisions to move quickly, particularly since market trends are closely aligned with the architectural firm's sweet spots, whether it’s HPA’s branded products with lower density “Big House”®, high density surface parked e-Urban®, mixed use, high-density wood-frame 4 & 5-story podium up to 120 units per acre, or high-rise projects.
"Seattle is ranked fourth in annual rent growth. We think we've got a winner in terms of the market," Faulkner says, "and Carl's got good connections. There is some competition in the market, but that also means there's good multifamily talent up there for us to hire."
Colson designed the 56th Ave. mixed-use project in Mountlake Terrace, Wash., where 123 residential units sit atop nearly 12,000 square feet of retail space. His residential portfolio includes Abbey Court, also in Mountlake Terrace, Bell Street Condominiums in Edmonds and Nicho Wynd Townhomes in Lynnwood.
Colson holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Houston and completed advanced studies at Boston Architectural Center and Northeastern University, also in Boston. Certified by the National Association of Architectural Registration Boards, Colson won an Excellence in Architecture Design merit award in 1990 from the New Hampshire American Institute of Architects.
The Seattle launch is the tenth office for the award-winning Humphreys firm, marking its 20th anniversary this year. Among its numerous industry honors is the Carlyle in Minneapolis, named the best high-rise condominium project in the U.S. The firm also has offices in Irvine and San Ramon, Calif., New Orleans, Orlando, Fla., Scottsdale, Ariz., and the Carolinas in addition to the Dallas headquarters, and international offices in Montevideo, Uruguay, Dubai and Chennai.