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News & ArtsTuesday, February 24, 2009
Boom Pb Elemental Abandoning Its HQ
Posted by Dominic Holden on Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 2:44 PM
Pb Elemental, one of Seattle’s leading designers of contemporary architecture, is selling its Rainier Valley offices. “We’re definitely trying to keep our head above water right now,” says Najela Shamah, creative director for Pb Elemental. The company laid off 16 employees in October, reducing the staff to 35. "We have gotten a little smaller so ... we are looking for smaller digs."
The 7,500 square foot building on 23rd Avenue South and Rainier Avenue South—listed for sale on LoopNet, as noted by Hugeasscity—was built originally as a cold storage ice-cream warehouse. Here’s what it looks like with Pb’s touch:
I really hope Pb Elemental can weather the development slump. They have released some of the freshest houses and townhouses, and the most striking conceptual design work in the city—a welcome relief from the nondescript crap around town. “For the most part, it's business as usual,” says Shamah. “We’re trying to drum up work.”
1
Mr. Holden,
I seriously dobut you live next to one of their finished or in-progress projects.
They run goddamn slow, and have very little respect for that which as come before.
Die, pigfuckers, die.
(but i like their work in other peoples neighborhoods! go ahead and fuck their shit UP!@)
I seriously dobut you live next to one of their finished or in-progress projects.
They run goddamn slow, and have very little respect for that which as come before.
Die, pigfuckers, die.
(but i like their work in other peoples neighborhoods! go ahead and fuck their shit UP!@)
2
@ 1) I live about 100 feet from a project Pb Elemental is building on East Union Street. What came before on that site was a lot of bramble and trash.
4
oh, and developers "drum up" their own work. what this means is they can't get financing.
they're not alone. the banks are hoarding.
they're not alone. the banks are hoarding.
5
Fair enough, Dominic.
I'm petty.
I'd don't like their work all that much, but I'm not a 'craftsman' fan either, so, i'm just a disgruntled hater.
I'm petty.
I'd don't like their work all that much, but I'm not a 'craftsman' fan either, so, i'm just a disgruntled hater.
6
Their work is lovely, and a huge step above 90% of the worthless dross that gets puked up by Puget Sound area builders, but it's also somewhat cold and clinical. Call it "Dentist Office Chic." I wonder how people feel living in their homes and condos.
8
The first properties to tank in a bad market are the thousands of thoughtless, faux-craftsman townhomes that are built exactly the same regardless of context.
9
I heart Pb Elemental...they are amazing and i have no doubt they will continue improving Seattle with there architecture.
10
Fuck Pb Elemental. Last I heard they were asking laid-off employees to work for free which is both ILLEGAL and IMMORAL. Guess when you are anointed Design Geniuses you're above behaving decently, eh.
11
To those of you who posted inappropriate and undeserved comments - karma is a bitch. and for mrbanana in particular i doubt you'd appreciate someone fucking your shit up, so keep that in mind when suggesting trashing the hard work of another. if you don't like modernism, that's fine but you don't have to discredit someone else's passion. to each is own and you are entitled to your own opinions, but let's be cordial and considerate.
12
all assembly lines need grease to keep moving...that is what pb elemental is after all....the grease was the good economy and easy-to-find bank financing that is no more....they deserve what they get for building the same exact building, juxtaposed on every site they aquire, they are definitely developers before they are architects no question
13
Architecture is not a recession proof industry. Pb Elemental, therefore, is not recession proof. They have done things their own way and have designed and built some of the coolest units in Seattle, period. I hope that they continue to design because it would be an absolute shame if the Puget Sound and beyond was without Pb designed projects. I just hope that Pb stretches beyond the Seattle market because I am not sure Seattle is ready for such innovative designs...I am sure they are happy with the crap that has already littered the landscape.
14
Eazyee-
The faux craftsman townhomes that exploded throughout Seattle are "assembly line" architecture. Pb Elemental has a common thread that runs through many of their projects but this does not make them "assembly line" architects. While they do use a certain material palette (most architects do) they do not repeat the "same exact building" on every site. You need to take a closer look at their projects to see how different some of them are...
Crockett Residence
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
Sterling Residence
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
Norman Residence
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
Corson Lofts
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
14th Ave Townhomes
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
With that being said, "assembly line" products are not inherently bad. It all depends on the quality of the initial product being mass produced. The Auto Industry is a great example of this. The "assembly line" is the reason cars are affordable for most people. And I think you would agree there are a number of beautifully designed cars that are also mass produced in the thousands. A similar approach should be applied to architecture. As long as the projects being mass produced are beautiful and functional. The US Auto Industry is learning just how important it is to be mass producing the right product. Your desire for projects to be so uniquely different results in very expensive, custom, "one-offs". While there is a place for such projects they should not be everywhere. Designing dense, multi-family housing at affordable prices is the real difficulty...this is where design typically gets the short end of the stick. Getting back to Pb, you'll notice that their single-family residences are quite different from one another. However, when it comes to multi-family housing they do seem to have a "formula" that they are perhaps "mass producing"...and without compromising design. If they can continue to provide a better product at a more affordable price I'm all for it.
More...
The faux craftsman townhomes that exploded throughout Seattle are "assembly line" architecture. Pb Elemental has a common thread that runs through many of their projects but this does not make them "assembly line" architects. While they do use a certain material palette (most architects do) they do not repeat the "same exact building" on every site. You need to take a closer look at their projects to see how different some of them are...
Crockett Residence
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
Sterling Residence
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
Norman Residence
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
Corson Lofts
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
14th Ave Townhomes
http://www.elementalarchitecture.com/pro…
With that being said, "assembly line" products are not inherently bad. It all depends on the quality of the initial product being mass produced. The Auto Industry is a great example of this. The "assembly line" is the reason cars are affordable for most people. And I think you would agree there are a number of beautifully designed cars that are also mass produced in the thousands. A similar approach should be applied to architecture. As long as the projects being mass produced are beautiful and functional. The US Auto Industry is learning just how important it is to be mass producing the right product. Your desire for projects to be so uniquely different results in very expensive, custom, "one-offs". While there is a place for such projects they should not be everywhere. Designing dense, multi-family housing at affordable prices is the real difficulty...this is where design typically gets the short end of the stick. Getting back to Pb, you'll notice that their single-family residences are quite different from one another. However, when it comes to multi-family housing they do seem to have a "formula" that they are perhaps "mass producing"...and without compromising design. If they can continue to provide a better product at a more affordable price I'm all for it.
15
ahhahahhaha i am a competitor of pb's. but i am not bitter or jealous of what they do or who they are. they build stuff. and they at least try to make it interesting. i hope they, and all of us out here, can survive this very difficult economic shift.
16
The PB people are pretty good. Trying somthing different in real estate is ballsy and they have dont that well. I built some concrete sinks for them, and thay paid promptly. I have a litttle piece of dirt on Beacon Hill, they drew a good 4 unit plan for me, the plans are good and they didn't over charge me. They may have streched a little thin with building, designing and contracting, ballsy, I respect that. There is enough talent and energy in the founders that no matter what, they will be back. I look forward to that.
18
What I really mean to say is I am a fan of design build. I have nothing but respect for what PB has done for our communitys. Many designers would love to have a desing-build firm but they don't want to risk loosing everything. I hope they make it through the waves and come out strong, then again even Eikler died broke.
19
Holden check your facts!! PB didn't ABANDON anything they DEFAULTED on their mortgage and not paying lots of contractors on their projects. Their building (which they OWNED) is in FORECLOSURE! Look it up on the Daily Journal of Commerce!
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