--- title: "Johnston Architects — Architects & Building Designers | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/johnston-architects-pfvwus-pf~1325410552 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1325410552.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Johnston Architects" category: ["Architects"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/f23312530f6f3a64_8257-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "100 NE Northlake Way Suite 200, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States" latitude: 47.6633 longitude: -122.3022 phone: "(206) 523-6150" website: http://Johnstonarchitects.com rating: 5 review_count: 8 best_of_houzz_awards: 9 followers: 805 last_updated: 2026-08-13 --- # Johnston Architects Original Houzz profile: [Johnston Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/johnston-architects-pfvwus-pf~1325410552) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** Architects - **Location:** Seattle, WA - **Serves:** Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Shoreline, Bothell, Edmonds, Lynnwood, West Lake Sammamish, Mercer Island, Kenmore, Inglewood-Finn Hill, Mountlake Terrace, Lake Forest Park, Woodinville, Kingsgate, Newcastle, Maltby, Brier, Eastgate, Esperance, Clyde Hill, Medina, Kingston, Beacon Hill, Yarrow Point, Woodway, Beaux Arts Village, Hunts Point, Ballard, Fairmount Park, Gatewood, Methow Valley, North Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Riverview, West Seattle - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (8 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2013–2025), for Design. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Star Houzzer - Houzz Influencer - Recommended on Houzz - 100,000 Ideabook Saves - Locally owned - Woman owned - 30 years in business Johnston Architects is a highly experienced and talented team dedicated to providing comprehensive design and planning services for civic projects such as libraries and cultural centers, multi-family and mixed use developments, and custom homes. Architecture is a language. Like any language, it has rules and conventions. Embedded in that language is the possibility of great beauty and expression. This is the language we practice and share with our friends. Solving programmatic and functional problems is one of the basic elements of architecture. We work to excel at this fundamental level, and at the same time, realize possibilities that transcend the ordinary. It is here that the language of architecture can inspire and excite. ### Services Provided - Architectural Design - Building Design - Architectural Drawings - Custom Homes - House Plans - New Home Construction - Home Extensions - Sustainable Design - Energy-Efficient Homes - Green Building - Space Planning ### Areas Served - Seattle - Bellevue - Kirkland - Redmond - Shoreline - Bothell - Edmonds - Lynnwood - West Lake Sammamish - Mercer Island - Kenmore - Inglewood-Finn Hill - Mountlake Terrace - Lake Forest Park - Woodinville - Kingsgate - Newcastle - Maltby - Brier - Eastgate - Esperance - Clyde Hill - Medina - Kingston - Beacon Hill - Yarrow Point - Woodway - Beaux Arts Village - Hunts Point - Ballard - Fairmount Park - Gatewood - Methow Valley - North Beacon Hill - Rainier Valley - Riverview - West Seattle ### Typical Job Cost $300 - 350 Price per square foot. ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Johnston Architects | | Address | 100 NE Northlake Way Suite 200, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States | | Phone | (206) 523-6150 | | Website | http://Johnstonarchitects.com | | License Number | 602179399 | | Followers on Houzz | 805 | ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Johnston Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/johnston-architects-pfvwus-pf~1325410552) - **Website:** http://Johnstonarchitects.com - **Phone:** (206) 523-6150 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Licensed to practice architecture in Washington, Oregon, Montana, California, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona and Nevada. We have won multiple local and national design awards and have been featured in Sunset Magazine, the New York Times, Seattle Metropolitan Magazine and many other publications. - **Best of Houzz:** 9 awards (2013–2025), for Design. **Affiliations** - [The American Institute of Architects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/schools-and-organizations/the-american-institute-of-architects-pfvwus-pf~1350720471) ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 8 reviews** ### All 8 reviews **★★★★★ — gregnew, Feb. 2015** > We recently purchased a piece of heaven in Okanogan County WA and have been searching shed roof cabin plans on Houzz. We keep going back to the pictures of cabins built by JA. We love how they unobtrusively blend with nature. Although our project is some what smaller, they have given us great ideas to incorporate into our "shed roof creation to be" Thanks JA and Houzz! **★★★★★ — Mark S. Garff, Landscape Architect, Jan. 2015** > Johnston Architects is a very capable team of talented Architects and designers who create site-specific buildings that respect their surroundings and respond to the environment. As Landscape Architects we love working with a firm that has a deep respect for site design and understands the importance of place. JA is adept at making the best of site constraints in urban settings and respecting nature in rural environments. Their working style is positive and collaborative. **★★★★★ — Quantum Windows & Doors, Oct. 2013** > For a paragon of Pacific NW architecture, look no further than the Johnston Architects portfolio. We have had the pleasure of being specified in several Johnston projects spanning the last decade, and in each one our products are joined with a clean and rich palette of wood, metal and stone. Ray and Mary are a pleasure to work with and we gladly grant them a high recommendation. **★★★★★ — mrsbacon, Sept. 2013** > We have had the tremendous pleasure of working with Ray and Mary on the design of our modern cabin. Our aim in starting this project was to create a home that was both interesting and highly functional. Ray's innovative approach to space and strong sensitivity to the natural surroundings perfectly matched with our vision. Both Ray and Mary were able to interpret our feelings of what the home needed to communicate and translate these raw ideas into a design that is unique but still fits within the community and within the natural landscape. **★★★★★ — tubbyandlulu, June 2013** > Johnston Architects was recommended to us to design a 2,000 sq. ft home specifically for the hills of Winthrop, Wa. Ray and Mary Johnston met with us > and were attentive and very creative. We wanted a home that would maximize our beautiful views, keep the home cool in the heat of summer and a roof that would hold large amounts of snow during the winter. The Johnston's have been designing homes in the Methow Valley for over two decades. We toured several of these projects. With our specifications in mind they created a warm and comfortable space, great lighting, and energy efficiency. Their exterior design melds into the hills and open ground. The two bedroom, 2 bathroom home includes a shaded courtyard for shelter from the hot summer. > During the construction phase, the Johnstons were always available and they worked very well and collaboratively with the contractor. **★★★★★ — The Watershed Company, May 2013** > Johnston Architects is a collaborative firm whose design process is both innovative and respectful to natural features and character. As landscape architects, it is especially rewarding to work with an architecture firm that understands the value of site design. The are a very capable team of talented designers who create thoughtful, Eco-friendly buildings. **★★★★★ — harristheresa, April 2013** > Working with Johnston Architects to develop customized plans for our cabin on Orcas Island was a fantastic experience. The team was extremely well organized, creative and responsive. **★★★★★ — penelopekern, March 2013** > My husband and I hired Johnston Architects a few years ago to design a 2-bed, 2-bath vacation home and detached garage/office/guesthouse on our land in the Methow Valley of Washington state. We are delighted with what Ray and Mary Johnston and their talented team created for us -- a dwelling that takes full advantage of the expansive views but also efficiently shelters us from the Methow Valley's often brutal elements: frigid winters with copius snowfall, and summers with unrelenting sun. The finished product is a modern shed-roof structure that plays on the valley vernacular with a bit of a tongue-in-cheek twist in its exterior design, and uses natural materials native to Washingon state to drive a simple, yet elegant aesthetic in its interior design. The floor plan exhibits great economy of space: while there is no wasted space, there is plenty of storage and every room feels spacious and airy. > > Johnston Architects' site planning for our home is yet another thing we have appreciated. From a distance, the house blends in nearly perfectly with the surrounding terrain, with a roofline that echoes the slope of the foothills in the distance. What you get from that is a structure that isn't disruptive to the valley's priceless viewshed. > > One more thing - the crew at Johnston was a blast to work with! I'd design a dozen more homes with them if I could. ## Selected projects - [New Caelifera](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/new-caelifera-pj-vj~783390) - Location: Winthrop, WA - Photos: 13 - Description: Set in a rural valley of ranches and orchards, the owners named the project “New Caelifera” after the scientific name for the grasshoppers that live on the site. Like a grasshopper, the building sits lightly on the meadow with a low profile. The owners like the angular aesthetic of origami. We responded by metaphorically lifting the landscape and folding in the house. We created a steel shell that shelters a pavilion of glass and cedar. The result is a dynamic harmony between sculptural and tect… - [Prospect House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/prospect-house-pj-vj~4814715) - Location: Twisp, WA - Photos: 12 - Description: Designed as to take full advantage of it's quirky site, Prospect House is a compact cabin contributing to the stock of innovative modern residential design in Washington's Methow Valley. The site sits on a bench high above the river, bisected with a natural berm. While this provided privacy, it would required the main rooms to be focused in different directions to preserve the grand views. The solution was an “L” shaped plan with the great room pointed one way and the master bedroom pointed anot… - [Miners Refuge](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/miners-refuge-pj-vj~41954) - Location: Winthrop, WA - Photos: 2 - Description: Architecture has a real opportunity to embrace and protect the unique character of this region if it addresses the right questions Site strategy, connection to place, site history, vernacular precedent and a willingness to consider program appropriateness are important issues that can be used to satisfy client needs and protect a delicate environment. The Miner’s Refuge, intended as a weekend retreat in the beautiful but often harsh terrain of the Methow, was designed with these concerns in mind… - [South Range Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/south-range-cabin-pj-vj~45440) - Location: Winthrop, WA - Photos: 5 - Description: At only about 1,400 square feet, the South Range cabin perches compactly on the edge of the Methow Valley, between Twisp and Carlton. The simple rectangular plan is divided into two master suites and a great room that addresses the Cascades Mountains to the west. The generous veranda roof tilts downward in that direction, creating shade in the summer and protection from snow in winter but without blocking the expansive views. The elegant simplicity of this small house kept it economical to build… - [Big Rock House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/big-rock-house-pj-vj~2087488) - Location: Winthrop, WA - Photos: 14 - Description: Photography by Benjamin Drummond - [Rendezvous House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/rendezvous-house-pj-vj~2087545) - Location: Winthrop, WA - Photos: 8 - Description: Photography by Benjamin Drummond - [Lake House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/lake-house-pj-vj~246231) - Location: Seattle, WA - Photos: 8 - Description: This extensive re-invention of a house on a lake blurrs the line between inside and out - [Howe Street Remodel](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/howe-street-remodel-pj-vj~353240) - Location: Seattle, WA - Photos: 10 - Description: This well-built brick and cedar shingle bungalow was built in 1947 and had just one previous owner. The daylight basement is on a sliver of the lot but was simple to the point of plainness. The lower level, despite a good southern exposure, was dark and divided into several small rooms. The owners wanted to stay in their Montlake neighborhood, where the quiet lane feels more like a charming mews than a city street, but they wanted a fresh, more open feel for their home. Their preference for mid-… - [Mazama cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/mazama-cabin-pj-vj~143710) - Location: Winthrop, WA - Photos: 4 - Description: This cabin, with direct access to the cross-country ski trails of the Methow Valley, was designed to be a comfortable, practical refuge for an active young family. The compact L-shaped plan creates a “parents wing” and a “kids wing” allowing for privacy within a small footprint. On the exterior, the plan forms a gracious entry courtyard that shields the house from the road and provides a quiet out-of-the-wind garden that contrasts with the generous family-oriented terrace on the trail side. This… - [House in the Woods](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/house-in-the-woods-pj-vj~44135) - Location: North Bend, WA - Photos: 7 - Description: As mountain guides, Scott Schell and Margaret Wheeler are used to the upper reaches of the Cascades. Their site in the foothills above Snoqualmie is not far from work. The house, designed by Johnston Architects PLLC and built by Tall Tree Construction, accommodates both professional and practical demands, but it also fulfills a deep desire to do what is right. The Schell Wheeler house will soon receive a LEED Silver certification. Blow-down trees from storms provided the logs that were milled in… - [Twisp Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/twisp-cabin-pj-vj~41934) - Location: Twisp, WA - Photos: 2 - Description: This small in size but large in spirit cabin sits high on a bench above the Methow River. It is a cube of space that allows expansive views of the valley below, shelter from the sun and protection from deep winter snows. The calm details and simple materials blend with the beautiful and austere environment. - [Home of Distinction: Lake Cle Elum Mountain Retreat by Johnston Architects](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/home-of-distinction-lake-cle-elum-mountain-retreat-by-johnston-architects-pj-vj~1204203) - Location: Cle Elum, WA - Photos: 1 - [Wolf Creek Red Tail](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/wolf-creek-red-tail-pj-vj~1082315) - Location: Winthrop, WA - Photos: 4 - Description: Wolf Creek Red Tail is a single-family home designed to fit in with the rolling hills and rural landscape outside of Winthrop, Washington. The design contrasts solid and transparent elements concluding with a soaring roof overhang. Perfect for the Methow Valley, the material palette contrasts warm wood siding and a cool grey metal siding. - [Base Camp](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/base-camp-pj-vj~435331) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 32 - Description: Lake Cle Elum sits north of Snoqualmie Pass and east of the Cascade Crest. It is a large and somewhat remote lake which enjoys the heat of the summer and the snows of the winter. “Base Camp” was conceived by Johnston Architects as a retreat and eventually primary home for an active family of seven. It sleeps over 20 people, but more importantly acts as a recreational base for enjoyment of the surrounding rugged Cascades. Outdoor living is a theme, accomplished partially through sliding walls, po… - [Orcas Island Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/orcas-island-cabin-pj-vj~909553) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 13 - [Bandon Bluff House](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/bandon-bluff-house-pj-vj~272884) - Location: Bandon, OR - Photos: 9 - Description: A modern house on the Oregon coast provides expansive views of the Pacific to the west and a river to the north. Wood , concrete and rich colors make this house warm and comfortable year-round. - [High Plains Cabin](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/high-plains-cabin-pj-vj~43850) - Location: Methow, WA - Photos: 2 - [Modern Barn](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-barn-pj-vj~44183) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 2 - [Modern Farmhouse](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/modern-farmhouse-pj-vj~43851) - Location: Seattle, WA - Photos: 1 - [Fremont Lofts](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/fremont-lofts-pj-vj~294761) - Location: Seattle, WA - Photos: 6 [See all 27 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/architects-and-building-designers/johnston-architects-pfvwus-pf~1325410552) ## Ideabooks - [plywood interiors](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/64839808/list/plywood-interiors) — 1 idea - [railings](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/30727384/list/railings) — 3 ideas - [Spanish Revival](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/11689757/list/spanish-revival) — 35 ideas - [Outdoor Rooms](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/27684339/list/outdoor-rooms) — 2 ideas - [plants and landscape](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/23942877/list/plants-and-landscape) — 3 ideas - [Brick](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/16988040/list/brick) — 10 ideas - [metal siding](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/16989167/list/metal-siding) — 1 idea - [lighting](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/4554472/list/lighting) — 6 ideas - [JA's ideas](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/2150248/list/ja-s-ideas) — 7 ideas [See all 9 ideabooks](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/studioja) ## Community Q&A **Q: Big Rock House** *(in Photo Questions)* Would you be willing to share the basic floor plans to the Big Rock House? Thanks so much, Boh A: Hi Boh, We are currently in the process of putting basic floor plans on our website. We don't sell plans since most of our houses are custom, but the plans would give you a general idea of layout. Stay tuned! **Q: Spa** *(in Photo Questions)* Who did you have build the spa? A: I'll have to research that. It's a custom built stainless steel spa. **Q: Question on the Wainscoting** *(in Photo Questions)* Can you tell me about the wainscoting? Is it rusted metal or a painted/printed finish or something else? Thank you A: Sorry for the late reply. Yes, its rusted metal. The contractor rusted it himself and then applied a sealer. **Q: Nice floor** *(in Photo Questions)* Which brand of wood stove is that ? A: It's a Rais. **Q: Beds/baths** *(in Photo Questions)* How many bedrooms/bathrooms is it A: Thanks for your interest in our Twisp Cabin. It has two bathrooms, one downstairs and one up, as well as two sleeping alcoves, one on each floor. **Q: Love this house** *(in Photo Questions)* I really like the double hung windows in this house. The wood and sleek trim. Who manufactures these? A: Unfortunately the company who made these is out of business. A similar product is made by Quantum Windows in Everett WA --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-08-13.*