Michelle Yates AIA
Michelle is an architect practicing at Bassetti Architects focusing on K-12 school design. As a Co-Chair of the AIA Seattle Women in Design Committee and a member of the JE:DI Task Force, she is interested in facilitating pathways for more equitable access to the architecture and design professions. Outside of her work she enjoys exploring the Seattle area on her bicycle and birdwatching.
I was introduced to AIA Seattle through the Young Architects Forum (YAF) and Women in Design Committees while in graduate school at the University of Washington. Like many students, I was lured in by the YAF happy hours and was excited to find a like-minded, welcoming community of young designers. Through these committees I contributed to several installations for the Seattle Design Festival, delighted by the energy and celebration of design by the public and for the public. The Women in Design committee offered a supportive network of inspiring women who served as mentors for me while transitioning from school to the profession.
AIA provides a space for a community of designers to share resources and collectively tackle large questions that are bigger than any individual practitioner or firm.
Through participation in several AIA committees, I have met and worked with many thoughtful design professionals including architects, lighting designers, and engineers. I value the diversity of perspectives brought by the range of members invested in our community.
I am working on the renovation and addition of Lindbergh High School in Renton.
I ask lots of questions and collaboratively evaluate design solutions to create the best possible built environment.
After working on a high school for nearly five years, it opened its doors to students this in September. It is hugely inspiring to see students engaging and learning in the space that I helped shape.
I recently started teaching an introductory architectural drawing class at the University of Washington. Teaching has been a new surprising, yet rewarding, challenge. I am energized by the drive and enthusiasm of the future generation of designers.
The architecture, engineering and construction industries are moving toward even greater collaboration between the disciplines earlier in the design process with an emphasis on digital and modeling tools. We have moved past the trope of the tortured genius architect working long hours in a silo and into a new paradigm based on collaboration and inclusion in the design process.
I hope to contribute to buildings and public spaces that are welcoming and support strong and sustainable communities.
The Olympic Sculpture Park is one of my favorite spots in Seattle; its views converge on several dichotomies that shape our region: the cityscape and the seascape, recreation and industry, the built environment and the natural one.
You don’t have to compromise your values to cooperate on a solution.
