About Us
Discover the Seattle Architecture Foundation
Seattle Architecture Foundation (SAF) is about the discovery of our cities and neighborhoods through active exploration. It’s about fact and fiction, history and folklore, egos and eccentrics. And it’s about inspiration, education, and involvement.
Through guided walking tours, youth programs, timely exhibits, and public events, SAF provides an exciting and comprehensive sense of how architecture and design affect and enrich every facet of our lives. With a better appreciation of the design of our built environment, each of us can better affect the direction of that environment. How we choose to shape our communities reflects more than who we are and what we aspire to become, it provides the foundation for a higher quality of life and a more vibrant social interaction.
DISCOVER ARCHITECTURE TODAY and discover how you can be a part of it with Seattle Architecture Foundation.
HISTORY
The Seattle Architecture Foundation (SAF) was incorporated as the Seattle Chapter A.I.A. Architectural Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization, on December 21, 1982. It was formed primarily as the educational and charitable vehicle for the professional association AIA Seattle. Initially, scholarships and small grants were distributed to architectural students and for design-related projects.
A name change in the late eighties to Seattle Architecture Foundation marked the organization’s independence from the professional association and a re-direction of assets. Programming designed to build public appreciation, such as guided walking tours, became the norm. The Foundation ceased distributing funds. Emphasis on educational programming designed to build public awareness and advocacy increased.
Thanks to SAF's generous donors and dedicated volunteers, our programs reached more than 6,500 adults and students in 2006.
How to Help
The important work of the SAF is dependent on volunteers and donors. Funding is provided by corporations, individuals, foundations, and program fees, while well-trained, dedicated volunteers work closely with the staff to plan and implement programs. Donating your time and money will build stewardship for our community and an ever-better built environment.
