up・ward \’əp-wərd\

adverb
• In a direction from a lower place or position to a higher place or position
• Toward a higher or better condition

More than anything, the name Upward reflects the persistent optimism we bring to our work and ultimately the impact we believe thoughtful design can have on the world. As architects and designers, we give form and order to the amenities of everyday life, elevating the lives of our clients and those that use the places and spaces we create for them.

But it’s important to note that Upward is an adverb and not an adjective. It describes a process of becoming, rather than a final condition. While our portfolio showcases the quality of our finished work, it’s the getting-there that’s most valuable, and what truly distinguishes our practice.

HOW WE WORK

Founded by architect Mark Ward, UPWARD Architecture & Interiors is a small, Seattle-based collaborative of creative problem solvers who contribute design, business acumen and technical proficiency in equal measure. We’re known for our work on hospitality, distillery & winery, manufacturing, adaptive reuse, and custom home projects.

We love what we do, every day; our enthusiasm and tenacity drive us. And we want that excitement to be contagious, to spread through our teams and communities to help foster better built environments. While we work diligently to create great architecture, we know that our best work comes when we forge meaningful relationships with our clients. It’s important for us to connect on a human level – to collaborate with people we enjoy working with, laughing with, and creating with.

We remember the original promise of our vocation: that our skill and creativity are intended to be in service of our clients’ endeavors and ambitions. Our role is to reveal and give form and order to their ideas, not simply to look for opportunities to impose our own.

CAPABILITIES

ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS

• Conceptual Design & Feasibility Studies
• Programming & Space Planning
• Site Analysis & Planning
• Adaptive Reuse & Asset Repositioning
• FF&E Design, Selection & Coordination
• Distillery, Winery and Brewery Design
• Manufacturing Facility Design
• Retail, Office & Hospitality TI
• Custom Homes

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Owner Representation
• Entitlements and Permitting
• Project Delivery Method Analysis
• Cost Modeling & Budget Control
• Contractor Procurement
• Bidding & Contract Negotiation
• Move Coordination
• Project Scheduling

OUR APPROACH

We believe every project is unique and calls for its own problem solving. But while we avoid subscribing to any specific architectural doctrine, there are three tenets to our approach that help guide our thinking and our creativity:

FIRST, TRY TO

USE WHAT’S

ALREADY THERE.

ADAPTIVE REUSE OF

EXISTING BUILDINGS.

Mark grew up renovating an old 1890 historic home with his family on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri. The historic buildings of St. Louis, and particularly the messy renovation problems of older structures, captured his imagination and ultimately led him to architecture.

Often, the greenest building is the one that’s already there — which is why so much of our work focuses on adaptive reuse of existing structures.

ACTIVE DESIGN.

MAKE BUIDINGS AND

CITIES THAT DISCOURAGE

SEDENTARY LIFESTYLES.

In the 21st Century, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet are second only to tobacco as the main causes of premature death in the United States. Most people spend as much as 90 percent of their days indoors, often engaged in sedentary occupations.

Active design encourages stair climbing, walking, bicycling, transit use, active recreation and healthy eating. Designers have an essential role in addressing the rapidly growing epidemics of obesity and related chronic diseases, especially in light of mounting scientific evidence demonstrating the impact of environmental design on physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

QUIET ARCHITECTURE.

GREAT DESIGN SHOULD

NEVER SAY LOOK AT ME.

IT SHOULD SAY LOOK AT THIS.

Rather than shouting about its own self-importance, we think that compelling architectural spaces should receive a person and enable them to experience it, but should not constantly demand their attention.

We aim to create thoughtfully-considered buildings and spaces that have inherent dignity, integrity and humility. Our best projects tell enriching stories of the client’s vision and the project’s unique time and place.

Our Team

Mark Ward

Architect & Founder

Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Mark founded Seattle-based UPWARD Architecture and Interiors in 2016 after 16 years of diverse architectural and interiors experience in Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco. He set out to build an architectural practice that would ACT BIG, STAY SMALL, and DO GOOD. And UPWARD has intentionally remained small enough for Mark to be intimately connected with his work and clients, but capable of marshalling the best resources required of any project. Mark oversees all project work, from conceptualization through construction, in addition to cultivating lasting and meaningful professional relationships with clients and builders alike.

Mark obtained a Bachelor of Interior Architecture degree at Kansas State University and Master of Architecture degree from the University of Washington where he had the distinct opportunity to study with Pritzker Prize Laureate Glen Murcutt and spend four months studying at the UW Rome Center in Italy.

Mark lives with his wife in West Seattle where he is also involved with the Rotary Club of West Seattle. He enjoys cycling, travel, and is an avid sailor and competes regularly in regattas throughout the Pacific Northwest.

MARK WARD

Architect & Founder

ACCREDITATIONS
• Licensed Architect | Washington State #11746
• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards | (NCARB) #109711

EDUCATION
• Master of Architecture | University of Washington, 2005, thesis prize recipient
• Bachelor of Interior Architecture | Kansas State University, 2000

ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION
• Design Studio Critic | University of Washington
• Instructor and Design Studio Critic | Bellevue College
• Graduate Teaching Assistant | University of Washington
• Design Studio Critic | California College of Arts & Crafts
• Experiential Education Program Leader | American Youth Foundation, 1992-2001

HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS
• AGC Tenant Improvement under $5M Award Westland Distillery, with Urbanadd 2014
• INAWARD – Hospitality 1st Place Westland Distillery, with Urbanadd 2013
• Walla Walla Market Station Design Competition Finalist, 2007
• Medal for Exceptional Achievement University of WA, College of Architecture, 2005
• Jones and Jones Endowed Fellowship 2004
• IWF Design Emphasis Furniture Competition Second Place 2000
• KCADDR Regional Design Competition First Place, 2000

current & recent projects

past projects

@URBANADD ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN
co-founder and principal 2008-2015

• Estates Tasting Room | Seattle WA (with Best Practice Architecture)
• Scratch Distillery | Edmonds, WA
• Westland Distillery | Seattle, WA
• Bookwalter Winery | Richland, WA
• Pro Sales Stainless Steel | Puyallup WA and Jerome, ID
• AAA Cruise and Travel | Throughout Washington State (with 5ive Creative)
• Historic Olympia Brewery Redevelopment & Deschutes River Bridge | Olympia, WA
• Ward&Co. Men’s Grooming | Seattle, WA
• Vaupell Industrial Plastics | Seattle, WA
• City National Bank | Lawton, OK
• Hospice of Southwest Oklahoma | Lawton, OK
• Retina Institute of Washington | Renton, WA
• Kardokus Residence | Seattle, WA
• Silver Fir Ski Lodge Summit at Snoqualmie Pass | Snoqualmie WA
• Yakima Millsite Redevelopment | Yakima, WA (with Dan Stetler and Ray Johnston)
• Plymouth Housing Group Multiple Projects | Seattle, WA
• TEN20 Black Box Theater | Bellevue, WA
• BECU Neighborhood Financial Centers | Throughout Washington State (with 5ive Creative)
• Advantage Manufacturing Technologies | Monroe, WA
• Swedish Medical Tenant Improvements | Seattle, WA

@SKB ARCHITECTS
designer, 2005-2008

@YGH ARCHITECTS
designer, 2001-2003

• Schwabe Williamson and Wyatt Attorney Workplace | Portland, OR
• Perkins & Company Attorneys Workplace | Portland, OR
• Portland Community College Expansion and Renovations | Portland, OR
• Western Culinary Institute | Portland, OR

@GENSLER
designer 2000-2001 & 2003-2004

• Bank of America | Pacific Northwest roll-out
• Apple Computer Retail prototype design | Nationwide roll-out program
• Volkswagen Retail | Nationwide roll-out program
• Seattle Monorail Madison Street Station | Seattle, WA

Kristin Dejong

Interior Designer

Kristin has worked in the Interior Design industry since 2005 when she completed her first interior design internship prior to attending the University of Southern California. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree at USC, she earned both a Certificate of Interior Design and a Master of Interior Architecture Degree from UCLA.

After spending several years focusing on hospitality and high-end residential projects in Southern California, Kristin returned home to the Pacific Northwest to continue her design career. Our region’s leading sustainable design practices have dovetailed with Kristin’s professional aspirations and she has maintained her WELL Accredited Professional credential since 2016. In addition to her goal of implementing healthy building strategies and materials into projects, she also excels and enjoys educating clients and teams on the benefits of these too.

When she’s not working, Kristin can be found cheering on her favorite sports teams (Go Seahawks!) or spending time with family and her enormous Bernadoodle Porter.

KRISTIN DEJONG

Interior Designer

ACCREDITATIONS
• National Council for Interior Design Qualification | NCIDQ #31701
• WELL AP

EDUCATION
• Master of Interior Architecture | UCLA Extension + Cal Poly Pomona, 2012
• Certificate of Interior Design | UCLA Extension, 2011
• Bachelor of Science Business Administration | University of Southern California, 2009

current & recent projects

past projects

@SFA DESIGN
Interior Designer, 2013-2014 & 2009
• Arizona Biltmore Renovation | Phoenix, AZ
• Fountainview at Gonda Westside | Los Angeles, CA
• Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills Renovation | Beverly Hills, CA
• La Quinta Resort Renovation | La Quinta, CA
• Multiple Private Residences | Throughout California, New York, and Florida

@DESIGN COLLECTIF
Interior Designer, 2012-2013
• Multiple Private Residences | Throughout Malibu and The Hamptons

@BOWERY DESIGN + DEVELOPMENT
Interior Designer, 2010-2011
• Multiple Private Residences | Throughout Los Angeles

Veronica Restrepo

Designer

Veronica grew up in the Seattle area and received a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Design Degree from the University of Washington. During her time at UW, and her studies in materials and furniture design with instructors Penny Maulden, Steve Withycombe, and Jack Hunter, Veronica developed a keen interest in woodworking and fabrication. She nurtured this interest through international studies in Denmark and at the UW Rome Center in Italy. Her passion for architecture derives from her background in ceramic sculpture, fabrication, and her enthusiastic desire to create functional design solutions to complex architectural problems.

Since starting at Upward, Veronica has worked on numerous residential, manufacturing and master planning projects. Outside of work, you’ll never see Veronica without her toy poodle Aikido. She’s also passionate about collecting indoor plants and propagating them for friends and family. As her career progresses, Veronica intends to pursue continued education and graduate degree in Architecture.

VERONICA RESTREPO

Designer

ACCREDITATIONS
• In-Progress NCARB | National Council of Architectural Registration Boards

EDUCATION
• Bachelor of Arts in Architecture Design | University of Washington, 2018

HONORS AND DISTINCTIONS
• Chair Affair, Honorable Mention | Interior Designers of Idaho (IDI) 2019

current & recent projects