Summer Retreat to Mt. Constitution
Last weekend, team atelierjones left downtown Seattle for Orcas Island to retreat from the city and into the woods. Susan led the team winding up Mt. Constitution to reach her family’s forest, a site for extensive restoration across multiple generations.
Everyone geared up with hardhats and axes to trim, collect, and pile thinned wood, making room in overstocked areas for sunlight and new growth. In these woods, time is a blink, and a tree is a drop in the ocean. A few hours of clearing and stacking wood feels satisfying; a small accomplishment in the lifetime of the forest. For atelierjones, working directly with timber inspires care and attention towards how we source and design with the material. Susan’s love and dedication towards the forest’s enduring health is reflected in how she continues to encourage family and friends to learn about and to work with wood in a lifelong project that keeps giving back to people.
atelierjones gathered on the deck of Constitution Shed, a small structure crafted from windfall trees found on site, to reflect on the past year. From the construction of one of the first tall mass timber workforce housing buildings in the US to the prefabrication of timber modular homes replacing those lost in a wildfire, each project ties back to sustainably sourcing wood. The tight-knit team’s greatest strength is balancing each other’s expertise across project management, technical detailing, strategic relations, and design, which allows them to navigate variegated project types together.
Moving forward, atelierjones will continue to tell the breadth of stories embedded in our design process because the depth of meaning in our work comes from the web of collaborations involved in each project. Our goal is to grow together through a shared vision with our network of partners, much like the thriving relationship between trees in the forest.
Evenings on the beach lit by campfires and enlivened with personal stories brought the group closer together. Susan’s family cabin provided a beautiful setting and creature comforts to make new memories through cooking meals, playing card games, and exploring the landscape. The weekend culminated in a day of hiking, swimming, and painting to relish the sunshine before returning to Seattle. We settled comfortably back into our new home at the Bullitt Center, refreshed and ready for the busy summer ahead.