northwest studio

David Cutler
AIA

David Cutler has practiced architecture, urban design, and urban planning for over twenty-eight years, and is a founding partner of Northwest Studio. David works across a wide range of scales and projects types, between policy and execution, to create buildings, urban spaces, and masterplans that create healthier relationships between people and place.

David is an architect, urban designer, and educator who’s work ranges in scale from single buildings to cities, engaging public-private partnerships, inter-jurisdictional regulatory frameworks, interdisciplinary teams, and communities to create places that are equitable, holistically planned, and cherished.

David’s collaborative projects have received numerous awards, ranging from the 2006 National AIA Award for Regional and Urban Design to the 2010 California APA Planning Award, the 2025 American Architecture Award, and funding grants from the US federal government and private philanthropy.

He is former Chair of the Seattle Planning Commission, former Co-Chair of the Seattle Light Rail Review Panel, and a founding board member of the Seattle 2030 District. Alongside professional practice, David has taught or served as a guest critic at numerous universities. He is an active speaker at academic and professional conferences, ranging from the Harvard University, to the International Living Future Institute.

Together with partner Aaron Young, David founded Northwest Studio in Seattle, Washington, in 2016.

Position

Founding Partner

Education

Harvard University Graduate School of Design: Master of Architecture in Urban Design (2004).
University of Notre Dame: Bachelor of Architecture (1995)

Contact

dcutler@northweststudio.com
(206) 788-8157

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