Board & Vellum has moved to Seattle’s iconic Smith Tower in Pioneer Square. Learn more.
Developing a new custom residential property on undeveloped land with Board & Vellum.
Architecture, Custom Residential

What to Look For When Buying Land to Build a Vacation Home

Buying land for a vacation or second home comes with hidden risks: buildability limits, utility costs, environmental constraints, and remote-build logistics. Before you fall in love with a view, learn what to look for so you can make a confident, informed purchase. Here’s what our architects consider before, and after, you buy.

Learn more.
Footprint Wine Tap – Wine Bar Capitol Hill – Board & Vellum
Architecture, Commercial, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Pre-Leasing Considerations for Your Commercial Space

Finding the right commercial space for your business can feel overwhelming. Board & Vellum’s pre-leasing consulting helps businesses uncover hidden risks, evaluate tenant improvement budgets, and explore design opportunities before signing a lease — turning uncertainty into clarity and setting the stage for long-term success.

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Diagram showing a small icon representing the bank on Capitol Hill where Board & Vellum has been located for 10 years and a small icon of the Smith Tower, where Board & Vellum’s new office is located, with two arrows between them completing a circle, and a transparent aerial shot of Seattle underlaid beneath the diagram.
News

Board & Vellum is Moving to Pioneer Square

As we approach our 15th anniversary, Board & Vellum is preparing for a new chapter as the evolved firm we’ve grown into, moving back to our roots in Pioneer Square, this time, taking over the 16th floor in Seattle’s iconic Smith Tower.

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A back and white rendering of the exterior of a single-family home.
Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Architecture

Why Architects Are Your Best Advocates in a Complicated Permit World

Permitting in the Puget Sound Region is a complicated endeavor, but you don’t have to go at it alone. At Board & Vellum, we have the knowledge and experience to help get your project to the permitting finish line. In fact, architects are key players in helping you achieve permit success. Here’s how.

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Rolled up project construction documents for a home.
Custom Residential

Factors That Impact Permit Timing

How long does it take to get a permit? This is a perennial question we wish we had a simple answer to. In reality, there are many factors that can impact permit timing. Here, we explore what those factors are so you’re armed with the right knowledge before your project goes in for permit.

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Living room space in a Mid-Century style with a large, stone fireplace.
Architecture, Custom Residential, Interior Design

Fireplace Options For Your Home

If you’re considering adding a fireplace to your home or restoring an existing fireplace, the options may seem overwhelming. There are many things to consider, like aesthetic goals, ambiance, and sustainability. Luckily, we've assembled this essential guide on fireplaces to help you decide what’s right for you.

Learn more.

Would you like to read more from the team?

If you enjoy reading our blog as much as we enjoy writing it, that simply makes our day. You may also enjoy a few of the related posts below.

A rendering of a proposed campus master plan for support program that offers community for adults with special needs. This overhead view shows the campus’s complex needs, like permanent housing and day program spaces. The campus is surrounded by trees and grassy areas. — Matthias Academy – Board & Vellum
A Space for Everyone

Matthias Academy’s complex programming needs include a campus that combines housing, education centers, employment opportunities, and more. Matthias Academy | Rendering by Board & Vellum.

Our Approach to Commercial Architecture Design

A new commercial building sits on a site, in a neighborhood, and in an ecosystem it will likely outlast. Here is how our commercial architecture design process starts with curiosity about a place, stays centered on the people who will use the building, and plans for the decades after opening.

Shelby House – Board & Vellum

Budgeting for a Remodel or Building New? Part 2

Building new gives you complete control over every detail, but it comes with its own financial realities. In part two of this series, we walk through land costs, permits, hidden expenses, a decision making framework, and real client examples to help you choose the right path for your family.

Comprehensive Design Services for Legacy Properties – Architecture, Interior Design, and Landscape Architecture by Board & Vellum

Budgeting for a Remodel or Building New? Part 1

Should you remodel your current home or start fresh? In part one of this two part series, we break down what renovating really costs: design fees, permits, the disruption of living through construction, and the hidden expenses most homeowners never see coming, plus when remodeling truly makes financial sense.

Developing a new custom residential property on undeveloped land with Board & Vellum.

What to Look For When Buying Land to Build a Vacation Home

Buying land for a vacation or second home comes with hidden risks: buildability limits, utility costs, environmental constraints, and remote-build logistics. Before you fall in love with a view, learn what to look for so you can make a confident, informed purchase. Here’s what our architects consider before, and after, you buy.

Designing & Permitting Backyard Buildings

What does it take to get your backyard building built? Whether its an accessory structure, a detached accessory dwelling unit, or a garage, a little gumption goes a long way. With careful planning and a little patience, you can have the backyard building of your dreams.

Navigating the World of Backyard Buildings

When it comes to backyard buildings, there are many things to consider. The first is: what exactly is a backyard building? From accessory structures to detached accessory dwelling units to garages, we’re breaking down the three main types of backyard buildings and how they function on your property.

Considering a project, or curious about something?

Say hello, and send us your questions via the form below. We’re always pleased to make new connections, and eager to get to know you, your project, and your goals.

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Board & Vellum is honored to be a Gray Awards Finalist for landscape design, earning the recognition for the rooftop garden at the Lucille on Roosevelt.

Honored as a finalist for residential landscape design.

LEED Certified in White

Our team includes LEED-accredited professionals.

Certified Passive House Consultant in White

Our team includes certified Passive House consultants.

NGLCC Certified as LGBT Business Enterprise – Board & Vellum Recognition

A Certified LGBT Business Enterprise Since 2016.

PSBJ’s Top 25 LGBTQ-Owned Businesses 2016 in White

Honoring companies that lead in promoting equality.