The principal of “the Works” is Donald Carlson FAIA. Don is a generalist architect in the broadest sensehaving designed educational, civic, residential and commercial projects as well as engaging in campus master planning, town center planning and urban design. He understands the essence, the function, the human need, cultural convention and accepted rules surrounding each project type…….which means that he is able to produce design alternatives that are “variations on the theme”......and that he knows where to “break the rules and conventions” to produce a new, more artful and appropriate solutions.  A few examples of projects that created new models

•  Larry’s Markets reinvented the conventional grocery store by taking lessons from the basic urban/farmers markets, mercados and suks – thus creating a more vibrant market placeshopping experience.

• A series of loft house projects were created by converting conventional houses into multi-levelloft living “habitats” of indoor and outdoor living.

• The UCDS project developed a physical facility that functions integrally with a progressive “project based learning” educational method.

• Ascend International School was the first school to bring the “project based learning” model to India. The design included not only master planning and the two phase architectural design of the school but also all the furniture and carpets.

• Timberland Regional Library is a rural community library surgically integrated into the forest on the Olympic Peninsula. Timberland was one of eight libraries in the nation to receive the prestigious AIA/ALA design award.