Topics
Commercial
Designing for commercial spaces is an exercise in balance: often there are tight budgets and timelines, but if you don’t get it right while staying true to your brand, you risk having uninspired clients who don’t come back in again, or employees who’d rather work elsewhere. We love designing inspired spaces, and here you’ll find all things commercial (projects, blog posts, recognition, and more) at Board & Vellum.
Our commercial services.
Restaurants, Retail, Workspaces
Commercial
We build dynamic, multidisciplinary teams customized for the needs of your project. Whether you are starting from scratch opening your first space, or updating your existing brick-and-mortar location, we’ll collaborate with you to design a commercial experience true to your brand and values.
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Cafés, Bars, Third Places, Retail Environments
Restaurants & Retail
In our digitally-focused world, the design of brick-and-mortar spaces is more important than ever. Our integrated architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture teams design holistic, stimulating experiences for your restaurant or retail space, enticing visitors to return again and again, and to share their excitement about your business organically.
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Hybrid Workspace, Open Plan, Private Offices, Coworking
Offices & Workspaces
Though the landscape of in-person offices and workspaces is changing, the essentials remain the same: you need a place where you, your team, and your guests can feel both comfortable and productive. From coworking spaces to private office build-outs, we create welcoming workspaces that suit your unique needs and help you get your work done well.
Learn more.Our commercial portfolio projects.
Farm Animal & Horse Sanctuary on Vashon Island
Ghost Owl Farm Sanctuary
A sanctuary facility on Vashon Island houses rescued horses and other equines in need of rehabilitation and a safe home.
Integrated Design for a Mixed-Use Development
Scott Street Development
Interdisciplinary design for a multi-acre site with dedicated permanent, affordable community land trust homes, mixed-use retail buildings, and market-rate apartments.
Adaptive Reuse of a Historic Structure
Darmer Hay & Feed Adaptive Reuse
Reimagining a historic, unreinforced masonry building in downtown Tacoma to ready it for future tenants in its new chapter as a mixed-use building.
A New Take on a Classic Capitol Hill Café
Fuel Coffee on 19th
Two Seattle brands come together in a reimagined space highlighting the best of both: lively, energetic Fuel Coffee and quirky, homey Ada’s Technical Books and Café.
Our commercial posts.
Commercial
Warm Shell vs. Cold Shell Commercial Spaces
If you're in the market for a commercial space for your business, you might be familiar with the terms ‘cold shell’ and ‘warm shell.’ But what to do these terms mean? And what considerations should you take into account when choosing a warm shell vs. a cold shell commercial space? We break it down here.
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Commercial
Why Your Project Needs a Commercial Test Fit
You’ve search around and found a great location for you business. Now what? How do you know whether the space will suite your needs, fit what you need to fit, and be comfortable and accessible to your employees, clients, or guests? Enter, the Commercial Test Fit.
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Commercial
The Importance of Universal Design in Commercial Spaces
When it comes to design, finding ways to create accessible and enjoyable experiences for all is of the utmost importance. This is especially true in commercial, retail, and office spaces, where we hope to make everyone feel welcome. The tools Universal Design and Inclusive Design give us can help us get there.
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Commercial, Interior Design, Third Places
Elements of Great Café Design
Think about your favorite café. What stands out to you? When it comes to designing amazing café spaces, there’s a lot to consider, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. Here, we break down the basic elements every café should include to achieve a great design that elevates your brand and your customers love.
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Commercial, Custom Residential, Interior Design, Multifamily & Mixed-Use
Our 2023 Interior Design Forecast
Trying to stay ahead of the design-trend curve? Us too. And for good reason! There are so many beautiful trends having and about to have their moment – not just ”for now,“ but as lasting elements of beautiful design. Our 2023 Interior Design Forecast is here to help you get to know upcoming trends you’ll love.
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Commercial, Custom Residential, Interior Design
How a Designer Can Help You Navigate Lead Times
Product lead times can play a major role in the success of your project and, these days, they’re longer and less predictable than ever. If you’ve been frustrated trying to find a product in stock and on your timeline, we feel you. And we have some simple ways to help you overcome these challenges.
Read more.Our commercial sustainability practices.
LEED Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council
Our team includes many LEED-accredited professionals who possess comprehensive knowledge of contemporary sustainable practices across disciplines and sectors.
Our commercial recognition stories.
The Best Retail Architects in Seattle
Board & Vellum is on the list of Best Retail Architects in Seattle, vetted and compiled by Seattle Architects. With architecture, interiors, and landscape in-house we can be the agile team you need to create your brick-and-mortar retail space.
Best Restaurant Architects in Seattle: Seattle Architects’ 2020 List
Seattle Architects includes Board & Vellum on their list of the 15 Best Restaurant Architects in Seattle in 2020.
Best Architects in Seattle: Expertise’s 2020 List
Expertise examined 138 architecture firms in the Seattle area and selected only 19 to make their list of Best Architects in Seattle, including Board & Vellum.
Best Seattle Architects: Fresh Chalk’s 2020 List
Board & Vellum comes in at #3 on Fresh Chalk’s 2020 List of Best Seattle Architects.
Our commercial team team members.
Jeff Pelletier, AIA, CPHC®
Managing Principal, Founder
In 2011, Jeff founded Board & Vellum in his attic and has forged ahead with excitement ever since. Architecture aside, he is a huge advocate for traveling, and takes LEGO really seriously.
Zack Thomas, PLA
Principal, Landscape & Site Design
Zack co-launched B&V’s ”Site Design Studio,” and is excited to take on landscape projects of all shapes, sizes, and scales. He loves to get out of the city on weekends and makes a point of traveling to another country each year.
Terry Phelan, AIA
Director, Sustainable Practice
Terry is passionate about educating the public and mentoring designers on the benefits of sustainable design. When she isn’t writing, teaching, or podcasting on the subject, Terry’s spending time in her garden!
Yi-Chun Lin, NCARB, NOMA
Director, Commercial & Integrated Practice
Yi-Chun is motivated by curiosity to connect culture, environment, and human experience through design. An avid reader, seeker of metaphors, and food enthusiast, she revels in finding beauty in simplicity.
Would you like to learn more?
We’re thrilled that you’re interested!
Our Story
Board & Vellum is a young and vibrant firm built on the idea that an informed and engaged team leads to better design and happy clients. We wouldn’t be where we are today without passion and hard work, and those same two things keep us going strong today.
Our Process
Bringing your project from “idea” to fruition is a little different at Board & Vellum. We give personal care to each of our projects, and you’ll be in the loop every step the way. The bonus: we are an integrated firm, so each project has access to plenty of great knowledge — and that leads to better design.
Considering a project? Or, just curious about something?
Send us your questions about design, architecture, interiors, landscape, LEGO rooms… Anything, really. We’re always eager to meet new people, and we’d love to get to know you, your project, and your goals.