Framework Cultural Placemaking

09/09/2025

It's exciting to see new murals popping up all over downtown Pasco now that the code allows them! Congratulation Cafe con Arte

The Portland-based artist has connections to Pasco.

08/30/2025

Love to see this!

Spring is in the air in Downtown Pasco, and thanks to Pasco Parks there is outdoor seating for the Pasco Specialty Kitchen members, so come on down and check out some of their great options just down the street from the Silver Maple Apartments!

Bulldog Bistro
Pie Sharks
Powell's Inferno
Tri-Cities Afghan Food

07/26/2025

Love being out at summer events. We were at Wing Luke's Jamfest to talk about the potential of this site on Canton Alley.

03/11/2025

This downtown has so much to offer. We had a customer share that this is the best version of downtownPasco we’ve seen, as someone who was born and raised downtown, and that things are headed in the right direction. Let’s keep it going. Who’s going to bring in a plant shop? An antique shop? A tattoo shop? Etc. the downtown would be better with you here. Build it with us! .trattoria

06/27/2024

Our office doubles as a bike repair shop sometimes

Getting a flat tire on your way to your first day at an internship is not great, but having coworkers who can help you fix it is!! This week we welcomed Emily to our team as a Designer and Planner, and Katherine as a summer intern. We love our team!

06/07/2024

A vision for a neighborhood park turned community hub

As part of Milton’s Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan (Adopted April 2024), we created a conceptual design for Hill Tower Park, a neighborhood park with a small playground, aging basketball hoop, and a hilltop view to the west. Centrally located near several schools, churches, and other parks in Milton, we saw an opportunity to bring new facilities into the park and create a community plaza that can serve many flexible uses. Drawing from feedback gathered via public survey, we designed an updated play area that makes use of the site’s slope and offers much desired amenities such as a zip line and splash pad.

At Milton’s yearly festival, we asked residents and visitors to weigh in on the design and vote for their most desired amenities. People were enthusiastic about the playground upgrades as well as the move to use the site’s flat area for a plaza instead of parking (which can be accommodated via the addition of street parking).

Including these efforts within the park planning process prepared the City with grant-ready renderings and public support for this project. We are excited to see that the City is moving forward with plans to improve Hill Tower Park and can’t wait to see how these upgrades can offer new ways to gather and recreate in Milton!

05/29/2024

So much to learn! Lesley is taking the WSU Forest Stewardship class and spent the long weekend on a field trip learning about ways to determine tree health.

05/21/2024

Seattle Central Library was built in 2004, standing 11 stories in glass and steel with the capacity to hold 1.5 million books. On the day we visited, light poured into rooms full of people reading, using computers, and hosting events. As Seattle Public Library (SPL) grapples with 8 weeks of closures, we’ve been thinking about the importance of beautiful public spaces.

The Central Library is full of bold design choices. Enter on 4th street and you’ll see text embedded into the maple floorboards, inverted like letterforms used for printing. Make your way to the 4th floor and you’ll experience Red Hall’s 12 shades of red, which cover the curvy floors, walls, and ceilings. The unique impact of this space has landed the library on lists of “must see” Seattle travel destinations. For those who visit on a regular basis, its design serves to infuse beauty into everyday quests for knowledge, resources, and community connections.

On April 11th, Seattle Public Library (SPL) announced 180 days of library, citing staffing shortages. This comes after Mayor Harrel’s hiring freeze, aimed at balancing the City’s budget deficit. While SPL has the green light to hire temporary staff members in the next 8 weeks, there is uncertainty around whether Seattle’s libraries will be able to return to normal service hours come June 2.

Library advocates hope that the City will ensure adequate funding and staffing to allow all branches to operate. One person who spoke to City Council on March 12th cautioned that “when libraries close, the community loses a place to turn for learning, joy, safety, and connection with each other.” While Central Library’s hours have not been on the chopping block during this round of closures, it serves as an emblem of the vital nature of beautiful public space and community resources.

If you feel passionate about keeping libraries open, check out Seattle’s Public Library Action Network or Friends of the Seattle Public Library to get involved!

05/07/2024

Having an office in Capitol Hill means we pass by this mural often. The second collaboration between development firm and artist , this 75 feet tall mural is a vibrant nod to the building’s sustainable design. Named Solis, the apartment was designed by and built in 2020 with a goal of achieving a 70% reduction in energy use in its heating and cooling needs. Now a certified Passive House, Solis is currently the largest multifamily building in Washington to hold this certification.

The mural’s subject represents the sun, the center of the universe. Representing the stars, the string of lights she holds light up at night, adding a magical touch to the neighborhoods evening streetscape. While the connection between the mural’s motifs and the building’s design may go unnoticed by most, the impact it has on the neighborhood certainly does not.

04/30/2024

Hard not to wax poetic about parks as clouds start to part and soggy lawns get dry enough to put a picnic blanket down. When it comes to summer in Seattle, parks bring some real main character energy. After having two parks plans adopted this year (in Milton and Buckley!) we’ve been thinking a lot about how cities can realize their visions for parks that bring people together, provide opportunities for exercise and play, and contribute to the ecological health of the region.

We’re talking about money—it costs a lot to operate parks and even more to build new ones. When we talk about parks planning, we’re talking about making sure the parks grows to accomodate growth in population - that means expanding the capacity of sport leagues, accomodate more cyclists on trails, and creating new park typologies that respond to the needs of the many communities that exist within cities.

This month on the blog, we’re looking at the different ways that cities in Washington can fund their parks. From levies to impact fees, grant funding to fundrasing by “friends of” groups, cities have several tools at their disposal to make their recreation dreams a reality, and the strategies they choose can shape what gets built and who it benefits. Check out the link our bio for this month’s article where we break down parking funding for Washington cities.

04/18/2024

Victoria has been prioritizing bicycle infrastructure for the past few years and it’s really starting to show!

Throughout the city there are several new protected bike lanes that help separate walking from rolling, and the City has done a nice job of integrating bike racks and bus stops into their concrete mediums. They’re also not afraid to use bollards to limit cars at certain intersections, while allowing bicycles to go through.

Throughout the neighborhoods there can be seen tactical art, educational signage, and wayfinding that expresses neighborhood character and regional history. Not a bad place to cruise around if you ask us!

03/14/2024

Last year we teamed up with SMR Architects and AHBL for a competition to design a community masterplan for 100s of addordable housing units just outside Sunnyside, Washington. Our team was thrilled to be selected for the project, and are now in the process of public engagement and design for a plan for Catholic Housing Services that will include opportunities for first time homeownership as well as shorter term multifamily rental housing for farm workers and their families.

Here are some of the diagrams we used in our presentation, which communicate our initial design concept:
1. Activate with programs.
2. Provide a variety of housing options & create community.
3. Connect to activities.
4. Establish a civic spine.
5. Celebrate the water.
6. Define with edges.