Seattle, WA – NELSON, a global brand experience firm delivering architecture, interior design, graphic design, branding and consulting services, has finalized an agreement to acquire Craft Architects, a Seattle-based architecture and interior design firm. The strategic move will expand NELSON’s Seattle location, a part of the firm’s rapidly growing West Coast presence, and launch a full nationwide industrial practice area for the firm.

Led by Principal Kathy Craft-Reich, Craft Architects has a 15-year history of award-winning design in the industrial, commercial, retail and financial markets. The firm’s pioneering work for its client, Prologis, produced the first multistory warehouse space in the United States at Georgetown Crossroads in Seattle, notable for its three-story structure with truck access on two levels. The firm’s innovative concept is expected to help meet increasing demand in the commercial real estate market for industrial manufacturing and distribution space in dense, urban areas.

Combined with Craft’s more traditional, suburban industrial portfolio, the West Coast firm’s capabilities in urban, multistory design extend NELSON’s growing industrial design practice, currently based in Minneapolis in the Midwest and Atlanta and Alpharetta in the Southeast, to create a comprehensive nationwide practice. Led by Sasha Vinitsky in Alpharetta, NELSON’s industrial practice has produced over 30 million square feet of space for companies large and small in the Southeast and Midwest regions. The addition of Craft will allow NELSON to bring its knowledge and expertise in industrial design to clients across the country. 

In addition to Prologis, Craft brings a diverse roster of clients such as Panattoni Development, Terreno, Triangle Equities and CenterPoint to NELSON’s extensive portfolio, along with 17 professionals to NELSON’s Seattle office, one of more than 22 locations nationwide.

“We are beyond thrilled to have Craft Architects join our firm,” said John “Ozzie” Nelson Jr., Chairman and Co-CEO of NELSON. “This is a great opportunity for us to create a true nationwide presence in the industrial market and bring a fresh approach to designing these important spaces. Craft’s portfolio of state-of-the-art projects will also boost our profile as an innovative leader in the industrial market.”

“Craft greatly looks forward to an expanded ability to work across the country and globe as a part of NELSON,” said Kathy Craft-Reich, Principal. “We couldn’t be more excited to join operations with a firm that shares our client service philosophy and commitment to forward-thinking industrial space design.”

The acquisition was finalized on October 15, 2018. Effective today, Craft Architects will operate as NELSON.

Providing strategic entrepreneurial focused and innovative design solutions for global, national & local companies.

A showcase of the finalists for “2018 Industrial Development of the Year”

Bertch Capital Partners - Seaway West

Black Creek Group - Tacoma Logistics Center

CenterPoint - Kent 167

Exotic Metals - Kent Manufacturing Facility

Panattoni - Des Moines Creek Business Park Building A & B

Prologis Park Tacoma

Projects Totaling 2M+ SF

With a portfolio that spans the globe, Prologis is ranked as the largest industrial real estate investment trust in the country. Kathy Craft and the Craft Architects team have been managing Prologis' Puget Sound portfolio for several years, as well as assisting with numerous tenant improvements for Fortune 500 businesses such as DHL and FedEx. We continue to conduct ongoing site feasibility studies and due diligence for site acquisitions and new construction.

Georgetown Crossroads
Seattle, WA

A one of a kind three-floor 590,000 SF fulfillment center located in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood.

Fife Distribution Center
Tacoma, WA
Craft provided design and construction administration services for Prologis’ 241,000 SF speculative shell building in Fife.

Prologis Park Sumner
Seattle, WA
130,000 SF tenant improvement for Progressive International.

Prologis Park SeaTac 
NAIOP Industrial Development of the Year Finalist
Seattle, WA
Craft Architects completed two buildings near Seatac Airport totaling nearly 245,000 SF and completed multiple tenant improvements for third party logistics companies within the Park. These buildings are unique in that the floor slabs are sloped at one-half percent from one end to the other which reduced the site excavation by 45,000 cubic yards resulting in significant savings for the owner. The buildings also include triple stacked panels and multiple tenant entries to allow leasing flexibility from one to eight tenants per building.

BC Hothouse
Fife, WA
43,000 SF tenant improvement including a 15,000 SF 45°F cooler and a 19,000 SF 52°F cooler integrated into the loading dock, used to store tomatoes and cucumbers.

Coastal Pacific Foods
Fife, WA
6,200 SF retrofit freezer and 6,000 SF cooler in existing 94,000 SF storage warehouse.

Tacoma, Washington
Bldg A: 280,525 SF
Bldg B: 828,620 SF

2018 NAIOP Finalist for Industrial Development of the Year

Tacoma, Washington
Bldg A: 222,925 SF
Bldg B: 770,195 SF
Blag D: 319,806 SF

New Shell Construction

2018 NAIOP Finalist for Industrial Development of the Year

Kent, WA
126,448 SF

2018 NAIOP Finalist for Industrial Development of the Year

Kent, Washington
223,732 SF

New Shell Construction
Tenant Improvement

2018 NAIOP Finalist for Industrial Development of the Year

Everett, Washington
Bldg A: 64,781 SF
Bldg B: 122,196 SF

New Shell Construction

2018 NAIOP Finalist for Industrial Development of the Year

Fife, Washington
225,972 SF

Des Moines, Washington
Bldg A: 265,922 SF
Bldg B: 246,119 SF

New Shell Construction
Bldg A - Tenant Improvement

Tacoma, Washington
67,090 SF

Dupont, Washington
250,000 SF

Grants Pass, Oregon
2,600 SF

Lakewood, Washington
210,700 SF

New Shell Construction

Kent, Washington
306,457 SF

DCG One
131,250 SF

Tenant Improvement

Burien, Washington
Bldg 1: 325,290 SF
Bldg 2: 133,417 SF

New Shell Construction

Craft has been working with the owners of RSS Management since 2003. Projects have varied from feasibility studies to tenant improvements to build-to-suits for industrial, commercial, and retail tenants.

Univera Healthcare  76,000 SF
NAIOP Industrial Development of the Year Finalist
When asked by the development team to design a new two-story ground-up facility, we were told it would be a fast-track project to meet the tenant's start-up deadline. Rising to the challenge included creating a flexible building design for multiple tenants and adding the City of Lacey to the team in order to meet these deadlines. Within two weeks the architectural and structural shell design was completed and a week later the permit issued. In less than five months, Poe Construction completed the building and tenant improvements, allowing Univera Healthcare to move in on schedule.

Greenwood Retail Block
A city block in the Greenwood neighborhood of Seattle was acquired by RSS Management in 2013.  The block consists of seven different buildings, each hold, at times, a different cherished story in this north-end neighborhood.  Craft has worked throughout 2013 to bring each unique retail building back to life and revitalize this active community.

Allwest (67,000 SF)
A new data storage facility and offices at Meridian Campus Business Park in Lacey, WA. Designed to complement the Univera design.

Ideal Furniture (85,250 SF)
A new multi-tenant building that includes Washington Insulation.

Aquaquip
A new exposed wood frame retail building in Shoreline that can be easily coveted to multi-tenant with interior and exterior metal siding and stacked stone.

Miscellaneous tenant improvements including EcoNet, Weyerhaeuser, and Napa Auto.

Miscellaneous site and feasibility studies for potential acquisitions or build-to-suit opportunities.

NAIOP Commercial Interiors and Industrial Development of the Year Finalist

Paine Field, Snohomish County, Washington
240,000 SF

Snoqualmie, Washington
75,108 SF

Built-to-Suit

NAIOP Industrial Development of the Year Finalist
(A Division of Esterline)
Paine Field, Snohomish County, Washington
216,000 SF

Addition              111,250 SF
Mezzanine           22,010 SF
Total Building    302,746 SF

(Acquired by Industrial Income Trust)
Sumner, Washington
440,000 SF

(10) branches varying from 2,000 to 3,500 SF
(40+) ATM and N.D. deployment project across 5 states
Concept Development: 
     Micro-branch: Bainbridge
     New Concept Branch: Puyallup

In 2010, Craft started a relationship with Washington Federal. Our first project together was to replace their Edmonds branch with a new ground-up facility. 

Washington Federal was pleased with our high quality of customer service and competitive fees. We have continued to work with Washington Federal on different sites, providing them with a variety of architectural services from small facilities related projects, remodels, 40+ multi-state ATM roll-out program, new concept development, site due diligence and de novo branches. 

Opus Bank first focused on absorbing and rebranding the network of Cascade Bank branches in the community. The bank then strategically added branches in new key markets that aligned with their branching profile. 

At this time Opus sought out to find a prime downtown Seattle location. A Tully Coffee location a Fourth and Union was leased. The building is a protected historical building and the retail space has prime street presence and an enormous quantity of walking and vehicular trips every day. Craft developed a highly transparent downtown branch location with an impressive board room at street level, branded teller line and inviting lobby space.

Kent, Washington
438,800 SF

Seattle, Washington
14,800 SF

Vancouver and Seattle, Washington

Multiple landlord make-ready projects, reposition marketing packages and tenant improvement projects for Westfield Malls in the South Center and Vancouver Mall's.