The second annual Housing Week concluded last week, an event-filled four days that left us feeling optimistically realistic. But before we get to that, please join us in congratulating Lexie Costic, AIA, who became a licensed architect in Washington state earlier this year; now 70 percent of RMC’s design professionals are registered architects.
Lexie joined RMC about two years ago, moving to Bellingham from Oregon. “I have been impressed with the level of support the firm provides young professionals. Every year brings new, more challenging registration criteria for experience and knowledge, and increasing costs. I really appreciate the help and encouragement I received from my colleagues at RMC.”
And we appreciate Lexie, whose background in architectural history has been especially valuable on projects like the renovation of Walla Walla’s Penrose Hotel and the Armory Building in Bellingham. Other projects Lexie has been involved in since completing her registration requirements include classroom and lab upgrades at WWU, the Bellingham Tennis Club addition and the Ground Floor project for First Congregational Church and Northwest Youth Services, a day center for young people experiencing homelessness.
The latter project, which is nearing completion, speaks to the issue of our community’s efforts to address housing affordability and livability in Whatcom County. That’s what Housing Week, a project of the nascent Housing Alliance, was all about, complete with lots of good speakers, ideas and discussions. RMC is a member of the still-developing Housing Alliance, which spent some time last week with Marty Kooistra of Seattle’s Housing Development Consortium for insight on how to organize and move ahead. Seeing how some plans are beginning to coalesce around solving the housing crisis was heartening. Learn more about the Alliance here.
We were also pleased to receive a “Housing Luminary” award for the design of Eleanor Apartments (new pics!), which provides homes for 80 seniors in our community. It’s an honor to be recognized, and to share the award stage with Mauri Ingram, representing the Whatcom Community Foundation’s tireless advocacy in this arena, as well as Ali Tayshi, for his work on the planning commission.
And finally – many thanks to the readers of Bellingham Alive/North Sound Magazine who have again selected RMC for their “Best of the Northwest” in the architect category.
