Joel’s journey into architecture began in the 7th grade when he was inspired by a friend’s house designed by his friend’s architect father, Earle Duff, who was also involved in the early designs of the Space Needle. This interest was further fueled by his 8th-grade teacher’s recommendation to read Frank Lloyd Wright’s “The Natural House.” Joel graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in Japanese Language and Literature and later returned to UW to complete a Master of Architecture program designed for those with non-architecture undergraduate degrees.
Rooted deeply in Seattle, where his great-grandparents settled, Joel has been engaged in architecture since his grad school days. He has worked across various project types, with a focus on retail and residential work in Japan. Currently, he enjoys working on infrastructure projects for tribal entities and residential townhome developments. Passionate about problem-solving, Joel thrives on finding unique solutions to the challenges each project presents, learning something new nearly every day.
Outside of work, Joel enjoys traveling to Japan or Montana, making and listening to music, cycling, and skiing. His bucket list includes visiting ancestral countries, building another house, and watching his kids thrive. An interesting fact about Joel is his appearance on music videos and CD liners in Japan for translating lyrics for a singer-songwriter friend. He once even played piano with a jazz trio at the Dalian Hilton in China.
