Jeff Pelletier
Architecture
Seattle Ground Floor Retail is a Public Benefit
A recent trip to New York reminded me what thriving neighborhood retail feels like, and how far Seattle has drifted from it. Small, affordable, interesting storefronts are the glue that holds a city together. Here's why Seattle should treat great ground floor retail as an essential public benefit, and two ideas for getting there.
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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.
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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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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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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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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.
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.
Seattle Ground Floor Retail is a Public Benefit
A recent trip to New York reminded me what thriving neighborhood retail feels like, and how far Seattle has drifted from it. Small, affordable, interesting storefronts are the glue that holds a city together. Here's why Seattle should treat great ground floor retail as an essential public benefit, and two ideas for getting there.
Adaptive Reuse: Getting More From the Buildings We Already Have
Reusing an existing building can cut waste, speed up approvals, and keep a neighborhood's character intact. It also comes with real surprises. Here's how Board & Vellum helps clients weigh the benefits and challenges, choose the right building, and define a scope that fits the budget and the goals.
Why Isn’t Seattle Building Enough Housing?
Puget Sound needs an estimated 275,000 more homes over the next decade, yet permits are hitting new lows. Rising interest rates, slow permitting, and high costs are driving the shortfall. Here's what's blocking new housing in Seattle, and the zoning changes, permitting reforms, and fee adjustments that could help close the gap.
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 that will likely outlast it. 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.
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.
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.
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