Member Highlight: Weber Thompson
HDC appreciates all the passion, hard work, and dedication our members devote to the affordable housing movement. No single organization could make this impact and secure this progress alone. The collaboration and connection among members is the human energy that works to ensure all people have a safe, healthy, and affordable home. We want to show our appreciation and learn more about our affordable housing community through these member highlights as each member is crucial to achieving the larger vision of this movement. This week our featured member is Weber Thompson. Thank you for all the work that you do!
- What excites your team about the work you are doing?
We are really excited to be working on a few projects utilizing a mixed-income, integrated services model. We really believe in the broader impact of this type of work. Bringing together a more diverse group of residents and integrating more deeply in to the community is a different model for affordability and we think it’s the right approach for our city.
Another great thing about some of our projects, Othello Square for example, is that we’re hearing the voices of those who don’t typically feel they are being listened to when it comes to the redevelopment of their neighborhoods. We’re engaging in meaningful community outreach programs and we’re seeing people step forward in droves to be a part of the change that’s occurring near their homes, schools, and workplaces.
2. What is a favorite office anecdote?
We can’t help but think about our beloved co-founder, Scott Thompson, who passed away in 2017. In addition to steering the firm toward sustainability, he led us to design affordable housing. It was easier said than done however, and winning that first affordable housing project was tough. But we’ll always remember his tenacity. After a particularly disappointing close second place finish on a potential project with Seattle Housing Authority, his response was: “You know that we are just going to keep coming back until you hire us, right?” That persistence paid off! We won the very next job: Raven Terrace in the Yesler Terrace redevelopment.
3. What upcoming projects, partnerships, and news are you looking forward to?
We’re over the moon to be working on our first high-rise affordable housing project! It’s the perfect project for us because it utilizes our firm’s extensive high-rise experience and combines it with our passion and dedication to creating healthy communities for people of all means to thrive.
4. What have you been most proud of during your time as an HDC member?
Well that’s an easy answer: our back-to-back Affordable Housing Week theme song wins! We’re really proud that our team is fearless enough to put themselves out there in the name of promoting affordable housing. We’re still waiting for those videos to officially go ‘viral’ though…we thought Construction Spice would shoot to stardom overnight! Oh well, there’s always next year.
