Susan Frieson

Susan Frieson, AIA NOMA LEED AP, a native Californian, has over 30 years of experience in the architectural profession. Her experience ranges over a variety of architectural project types, including public projects, hospitality design and retail. Currently her emphasis is on high rise multi-family. She is a Senior Associate / Senior Project Architect in the Seattle based firm Weber Thompson. After a career start in Chicago, Susan returned to California where she received her license in architecture in May of 1997 and after relocating to Seattle, received reciprocity in the state of Washington. A self-described “nuts and bolts architect” her experience includes all phases of the design process with an emphasis on schematic design through construction administration. She’s had the opportunity to work on projects both nationally and internationally of varying sizes. Some of her projects have included a boutique hotel and spa in California, which received the first LEED platinum certification on the west coast, the permanent international terminal at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, a multi-tower high rise residential complex in Dubai and several high rise multi-family residential towers in Seattle, ranging from 24 to 45 occupied stories in height. Within the professional community Susan has been involved with NOMA and the local AIA chapter(s). The consistent emphasis of her involvement has been to promote and empower the next generation of architects, including furthering awareness of the profession among underrepresented groups, mainly African American. She has also worked to help the profession as a whole, continue to aim / achieve justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in all forms, including firm makeup, leadership, community engagement and design. Prior to the events of 2020, Susan has been instrumental within her firm to bring awareness to JEDI issues, including helping to plan / implement inhouse discussions and learning on the subject to foster change, understanding within the firm. Susan has served as a chair of the AIA Seattle Diversity Roundtable and has helped plan and implement programs within the committee, including Architects in Schools, a design mentorship program w/ middle school students and Diversity by Design, a show case of work done by Seattle’s BIPOC and women architects. Similar activities with NOMA NW include helping to plan and mentoring in the initial Hip Hop Architecture Camp in Seattle, mentoring / volunteering in the West Regional NOMA Project Pipeline virtual camp as well as serving as a mentor in a collaborative program with Sawhorse Revolution, a local organization which sponsors design – build projects for underrepresented youth in the Seattle area.