Jeff Sandler

Other Tangents

Night School 2: What Shapes Our Cities?

Have you ever pondered the logistics of millions of people in a modern city all eating lunch within an hour of each other? The impact that food has on an urban environment is both enormous and fascinating, and lucky you: it's the topic of Board & Vellum's upcoming (and open to the public) Night School.

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Arts & Culture

Night School Recap

Our inaugural B&V Night School was a success! We ate, drank, and watched a wonderful documentary, Citizen Architect. And, then we followed it up with a critical discussion about the role of architects, pro-bono work, student workforce, and adhering to building code, all of which you can read about here.

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Other Tangents

A Visit to the NUCOR Steel Plant

A crew from Board & Vellum took a trip to tour Seattle’s NUCOR Steel plant recently to understand what goes into this critical building material that keeps our buildings standing up while almost never being seen. Jeff Sandler reports back with all the details from this illuminating trip to Seattle’s “Little Pittsburgh.”

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Would you like to read more from the team?

If you enjoy reading our blog as much as we enjoy writing it, that just makes our day! You might also enjoy a few of the related posts below. And, if there is a topic that you wish we would cover, let us know!

Use Your Words (Even When You Can’t)

Even in a profession where we quite literally draw pictures to communicate, words are incredibly important, too. Use them carefully, and precisely to get the job done right, and don’t forget that words can communicate very differently if they are said out loud versus written down, and there’s a time and place for both.

Channeling Experience: Storytelling in the Spaces We Design

Although we humans have invented new ways of sharing knowledge beyond the sharing of stories to one other over the firepit, storytelling is a key part of our culture. (Who doesn’t love a good story?) But beyond the stories we tell out loud, there is storytelling in spaces we design, too.

Unlikely Inspiration: The Strange Journeys of the Creative Process

A lot of times, unlikely inspiration solves your problems. To non-designers, it may seem a little crazy, but just as any odd thing can remind you of something else entirely, for designers, that experience often triggers their brains about a project they are working on, taking them on a mental journey towards a design solution.

B&V’ers Toast to What They Love About Working at Board & Vellum

Hey, wondering what’s it like working at Board & Vellum? Well, you’re in luck: in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, B&V’ers took a moment to write down (or draw) what they are thankful for about being part of the team.

Finding That “Eureka!” Moment in the Design Process

Parts of the architectural design process can (and must) be very precise, but there is also a messy, organic part of it. It’s the creative part of the game, and it’s often in that time that we find the “Eureka!” moment in the design process. When you’re working on your design, watch for it!

Designing a House into a Home

Emotion and personalization turn a house into a home, and when you're talking about designing your living space, this is incredibly important. Read about how our design process at Board & Vellum helps us make the leap from a great design (that is still just a house) to a home that our clients will love.

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Board & Vellum receives Just label from the International Living Future Institute, a voluntary reporting tool for social justice and equity indicators in the workplace.

Achieved a Just label from the International Living Future Institute in 2023.

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.