Olson Kundig — Our Culture

Dialogue, collaboration, and experimentation define Olson Kundig’s design approach and our internal culture. We foster a continuous cycle of learning, growth, and evolution across the firm, drawing inspiration from one another, our project partners, experts within the design community, and creative voices outside of our industry.

Thursday Crit

Every Thursday, team members from across the firm and office locations gather to discuss an ongoing project, design challenge, or internal initiative. Crit is more than just a weekly activity for us: It symbolizes the culture of design dialogue and experimentation that defines Olson Kundig. This free flow of ideas strengthens our projects and fosters lively design discussions and problem solving. This forum also allows us to regularly connect with each other and celebrate collaboration. Everyone in the firm, regardless of role, is invited and encouraged to contribute to the conversation.

Internships

Reciprocal learning is a key tenet of our culture. In 1996, Kirsten Ring Murray and Alan Maskin co‑founded the firm’s International Internship Program on this principle. The program provides paid six‑month positions to students and recent architecture graduates from around the world, offering mentorship and experience on actual projects. Each intern’s capstone is a presentation to the office on a topic of their choice, enriching us with their knowledge and life experiences. To date, we have hosted more than 400 interns from more than 30 countries around the world, and every state in the U.S.

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Design Mentorship

To support our ongoing commitment to learning, growth, and professional development, we offer weekly Olson Kundig University (OKU) classes. OKU classes are available and free for all staff, they typically take place in the office, and are often eligible for continuing education credits. As a system for learning and sharing, anyone in the firm may teach an OKU class, and staff at all levels share what they know—whether it’s design skills, professional skills, or personal skills.

We also strive to provide K-12 students with mentorship and access to design thinking and building experiences. We believe that this early exposure empowers young people to actively shape the communities where they live and introduces them to design careers. We have a longstanding partnership with Sawhorse Revolution, a Seattle based nonprofit organization that teaches teens carpentry and design through inspiring community projects. We have also participated in design mentorship programs including Seattle Art Museum’s Design Your [Neighbor]Hood, the ACE Mentorship Program, Opportunity Skyway, and the Partnership for Youth program coordinated by the Frye Art Museum and the Associated Recreation Council at Yesler Community Center.

Monday Meeting and Speaker Series

Every Monday, we start the week by gathering for a one-hour, all-hands meeting. Topics of the Monday Meeting include internal news and project updates, and this is where individual and firm achievements are celebrated. The meeting is also a space to share design projects as they kick off, evolve, hit important milestones, and reach completion.

Our Speaker Series was created over 25 years ago as a platform to expand our individual and collective ways of thinking through the lens of people working outside of traditional architecture. The Series is organized around a theme each year, and an internal committee selects speakers from around the world. Once a month, an invited speaker joins our Monday Meeting to share their projects, perspectives, and unfiltered stories. At its core, the Speaker Series is about seeing how other people have explored creativity, innovation, and craft, extending our culture of dialogue, learning, and growth.

Watch Here

Olson Kundig Speaker Series

Varun Thautam

01:00:00

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We believe diversity, equity, and inclusivity should be an integral part of our industry. At Olson Kundig, we believe this makes our creative process and our built work impactful and intentional. We want to reflect the world we work and exist within, but to do this requires a re-invention of how we embrace our individual weirdness and seek out new and diverse perspectives to expand and contribute to who we are becoming.

Over the next three years, we are excited to embrace both focus and chaos as we embark on the following strategic priorities:

To embed DEI into all aspects of our practice.
To implement culturally relevant professional development that is planned and ongoing across the firm.
To focus our attention on limiting disparities and instances of aggression across historically excluded groups.

OK office support of WA state marriage equality

Just Label

As part of our commitment to an equitable workplace and continued growth, we have committed to measuring ourselves against established external benchmarks that track both successes and areas for improvement. The Just Label provides guided self-assessment in key social justice categories including diversity, equity, safety, community engagement, and more. Evaluation results and transparency in reporting provides an ongoing catalyst for strengthening our social justice and DEI initiatives.

Acknowledgments

Systemic inequalities that have historically existed in our society and our industry continue to persist today. We believe that inclusion of a diverse range of voices only strengthens our work, culture, and community, and we acknowledge the extreme urgency of combatting these prejudices.

Black Lives Matter
Olson Kundig stands unequivocally against racism and anti-black sentiment, and we remain dedicated to the work of combatting racism and discrimination of all kinds. We are committed to shaping a more just, inclusive and equitable future for everyone in our community and our industry, and we continue to work to foster an internal culture where all team members feel seen, valued, heard, and safe.

Gender Inclusivity & Equality
Olson Kundig commits to actively embracing different individuals and gender identities; guarding against discrimination in our actions; and continuing to promote our vision for a diverse society with gender equality. This commitment applies to all aspects of our work and operations. It sets out our collective understandings and guides our policies for equity in representation, opportunity, and compensation.

We Stand Against Asian Hate
Olson Kundig condemns all acts of racism against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and stands in solidarity with our AAPI colleagues, teammates, collaborators, clients, and neighbors. We celebrate the many ways AAPI communities have shaped our nation, and we honor the deep influence Pacific Rim cultures have had on our profession and our practice.

Working at Olson Kundig

In addition to cultural touchstones, we host a variety of internal programs for both personal and professional development. For more information about these initiatives and what it’s like to work at Olson Kundig, visit our Careers page.

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