Résumé

Completing more than four decades in practice (1970s-2010s), most recently as Principal of Suehiro Architecture, P.S., Jim Suehiro became a consulting architect after 2018. In his words: "His planning and design career focused on airport terminals, integrating the two disciplines--one strategic and one experiential--to create sustainable airport business models that are humane experiences." (See emailed text from Jim Suehiro to the author, 01/21/2025.) Suehiro was a registered architect in the State of WA and was elected a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects. During his career, he worked on 71 projects at 31 airports, participating in 24 air terminal design projects, including new, renovations and expansions.

Intern, Ernest Hideo Hara and Associates, Landscape Architects, Honolulu, HI, 1974.

Designer, Forms, Seattle, WA, Seattle, WA, 1976-1977.

Design Partner, Henry | Suehiro, Seattle, WA, 1977-1979.

Project Designer / Architect, The McKinley Architects, Seattle, WA, 01/1979-12/1984. Jim and Gerin Goldberg Suehiro donated money to name a first-floor gallery space for David A. McKinley, the "McKinley Futures Studio."

Airport Design Principal, The Richardson Associates (TRA), Engineering | Planning | Interiors, Seattle, WA, 12/1984-01/1997. Suehiro served as TRA's Design Principal responsible for airport design.

Airports Design Principal, Naramore, Bain, Brady and Johanson (NBBJ) Architecture | Planning | Design, Seattle, WA, 01/1997-03/2008. Suehiro was a Principal of NBBJ’s Airports Studio, planning and designing air terminals. He left TRA just before Ted McCagg, FAIA, who was Partner at TRA and Managing Partner of TRA Airport Consulting, was ousted as head of the same firm by its new owners, Black and Veatch, a Kansas City, MO-based engineering firm, in 11/1996. (See James Epes, Puget Sound Business Journal.com, “Airport designer departing TRA, arriving NBBJ,” published 03/16.1997, accessed 11/18/2020.) McCagg had run TRA's airport studio before Suehiro.

Principal, Suehiro Architecture, Seattle, WA, 03/2008-03/2018. This small architecture and planning practice specialized in airport master planning, air terminal planning and air terminal design. This firm had 19 projects at 8 airports, participating in the the design of 7 air terminal design projects, including new, renovations and expansions. Of his design consultantship, Suehiro wrote on his Linkedin.com page: "Jim believes that airports are about people - designing his interdisciplinary methods to complement his conviction that the airport itself should be memorable, express the spirit of a region and its physical context, becoming civic statements that evoke community pride through identity and image. He believes that the integrated team creates strategies and designs of best value, and his means and methods focus on the opportunities of the future. Jim has shaped the personality of seventy projects at thirty airports through research on the future of air travel, his integrated approach to planning and design, and client service - all are focused on enriching the passenger experience in the airport business enterprise context." (See Linkedin.com, "James M Suehiro FAIA," accessed 11/18/2020.)

Marga Rose Hancock said of Suehiro: "Through his leadership in the development of integrated practice methods, James M. Suehiro FAIA (UW B.AED. 1976, M.Arch. 1982) has positively influenced project delivery transformation within the building industry. His knowledge of collaborative integrated processes has contributed to new definitions of practice." (See sites.google.com/site/aiaseattlehonors [MargaInk.com], "Jim Suehiro FAIA," accessed 11/18/2020.)

Consulting Architect, Jim Suehiro, FAIA, 2018- .

Teaching

Director, University of Washington, Seattle (UW), College of Built Environments, Institute for Built Environment Innovation, Seattle, WA, 03/2018-02/2019. Suehiro's Linkedin.com page stated of this position: "Jim Suehiro FAIA, as Director of the Institute for Built Environment Innovation (i.BE), lead the startup team formulating this applied research entity at the College of Built Environments (CBE), University of Washington. As an architect, his guidance in support of the team was founded in specialized knowledge and experience managing strategic design processes for integrated multi-disciplinary projects. With vision and purpose, the team focused on a methodology to design and communicate process frameworks and protocols for both fundamental and applied research projects while in their study definition phase. The CBE at the University of Washington is unique with its five departments: Architecture, Construction Management, Landscape Architecture, Real Estate, and Urban Design and Planning. The i.BE integrates the breadth of research capabilities in this multi-disciplinary college. Jim’s interim director position was assigned to the CBE Office of the Dean." (See Linkedin.com, "James M Suehiro FAIA," accessed 11/18/2020.)

Instructor, University of Washington, Seattle (UW), College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Architecture 504, Seattle, WA, Winter Quarter 1995.

In Jim Suehiro's words: "Continuing his long-term engagement with the University of Washington's College of Built Environments (CBE), Jim led a team tasked with the startup of an applied research entity. He was assigned to the Dean's Office and managed formulation of strategic methodologies and frameworks for multi-disciplinary research projects. Work of this team has been included in the CBE Research Strategic Plan and strategic planning effort of the college." (See emailed text from Jim Suehiro to the author, 01/21/2025.)

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA), Seattle Chapter, Seattle, WA, 1984- . Suehiro directed some of his professional time in expanding diversity among architects, particularly within the American Institute of Architects. In the 1996, for example, David Fukui, Milton Won, Jim Suehiro and AIA Seattle Chapter Executive Director Marga Rose Hancock made donations for a UW Architecture Fund for Cultural Diversity. (See "Notables and Heroes," The AIA Seattle Architect, Summer 1996, p. 9.)

Member, AIA, Seattle Chapter, Diversity Roundtable, Seattle, WA, 1986-1995.

Chair, AIA, Seattle Chapter, Diversity Roundtable, Seattle, WA, 1995.

Member, AIA, Seattle Chapter, Board of Directors, Seattle, WA, 1995-2000.

Member, AIA, Washington Council, Board of Directors, 1997-1999.

President, AIA, Seattle Chapter, Seattle, WA, 1998-1999.

Member, AIA, National Board of Directors, Washington, DC, 2006-2008. He represented the organization's Northwest and Pacific Region.

Chair, AIA National, Integrated Design / Future of Practice + Integrated Project Delivery, 2007-2009.

Registered Architect in the States of WA and HI in 2020. By 2025, Suehiro's registration status was retired.

Professional Awards

Recipient, AIA, Richard Upjohn Fellow, 2008. As an AIA Fellow and member of the AIA National Board, Suehiro was made a Richard Upjohn Fellow of the Institute.

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 2009. (See Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.com, “3 Seattle architects named AIA fellows,” published 03/04/2009, accessed 11/18/2020.) Suehiro was elevated to Fellowship in the AIA along with Seattle architects Richard Dallam and Gerald "Butch" Reifert.

High School/College

Graduate, Theodore Roosevelt High School, Honolulu, HI, 1970.

B.A., Environmental Design, University of Washington, Seattle (UW), College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP), Seattle, WA, 1973-1976.

M.Arch., University of Washington, Seattle (UW), College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP), Seattle, WA, 1979-1982.

College Awards

Recipient, University of Washington, Seattle (UW), College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP), Faculty Medal for Excellence in Design and Scholastics, Seattle, WA, 1981.

Named to Tau Sigma Delta, University of Washington, Seattle (UW), College of Architecture and Urban Planning (CAUP), 1981.

Relocation

James M. Suehiro was born in Honolulu, HI. He attended Manoa Elementary School, Robert Louis Stevenson Intermediate School, and Theodore Roosevelt High School in Honolulu, HI, graduating in the Class of 1970.

In 1971, Suehiro relocated to Seattle, WA, attending Bellevue Community College, focusing on art study. After a break in his education, he matriculated at the University of Washington in 1973.

In 1976, Suehiro resided at 4120 Brooklyn Avenue, NE in Seattle, WA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington, Divorce Index, 1968-1996, accessed 01/09/2025.)

Spouse

He first wed Edith York Mee Heu (born 12/27/1952 in HI) on 10/04/1970 in Honolulu, HI. They divorced in Seattle, WA, on 06/03/1976. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington State Divorce Indexes, 1969-2014, accessed 11/16/2020.)

James M. Suehiro married Gerin K. Goldberg (born 1956 in Phoenix, AZ) on 06/17/1978 in King County, WA. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation:Washington State Archives; Olympia, Washington; Washington, Marriage Index, 1969-2014, accessed 11/16/2020.)

Children

Jim and Edith had a daughter, Jamie L. Suehiro.

Jim and Gerin had a son, J. Brandon Suehiro who, in a tragic incident in 2024 passed away at the age of 30.