Todd Buchanan Joins Perkins&Will’s Seattle Studio as Managing Director

Buchanan has led several high-profile capital projects, including the $1 billion, 350-bed Western State Hospital behavioral health campus in Lakewood, Washington, which is currently under construction and aims for LEED Gold and Net Zero certification. His work with the Port of Seattle spans more than a decade and includes the North Main Terminal Renovation and the South Concourse Evolution program at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the largest capital program in the Port’s history.

Additionally, Buchanan served as principal-in-charge for the Kaiser Permanente Everett Ambulatory Surgery and Specialty Center Expansion in Seattle, a beacon for healing in a growing urban neighborhood fronting the busiest transportation corridor in the state.

“My work is guided by a commitment to public impact, enduring client partnerships, and design excellence,” he says. “Having spent much of my career growing design practices and building industry relationships, I’m excited to apply that experience at Perkins&Will.”

Other firm leaders are equally enthusiastic:

“Todd has the right combination of leadership and ambition to expand and elevate our practice and bring the best possible work to our clients in the Pacific Northwest,” says Brad Hinthorne, a managing principal Perkins&Will’s Seattle studio. “It’s an exciting time for us all.”

“Todd is well-known across the region for being strategic and trustworthy, and for fostering collaborative environments where clients and colleagues feel heard and supported,” says Lindsey Peckinpaugh, Perkins&Will’s president. “He’s a great fit for our culture, and we’re excited to welcome him to the firm.”

One of Buchanan’s goals is to advance the studio’s track record of designing and delivering excellence in healthcare, commercial real estate, higher education, life sciences, and workplace. Some of the studio’s ongoing and recently completed projects include a new bed tower and campus-wide improvements for Swedish First Hill Medical Center; the $1.74 billion Harborview Bond Program for King County and UW Medicine; and a new headquarters for Ai2, the nonprofit AI research and development institute founded by the late Paul Allen. Additionally, Kaiser Borsari Hall at Western Washington University—winner of the Bronze Award from the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction—is the first higher education STEM building in the U.S. to be tracking Zero Energy and Zero Carbon certification through the International Living Future Institute.

“What I admire most about Perkins&Will is its deep sense of purpose,” Buchanan adds. “The firm’s work reflects a genuine belief that design can make people’s lives better through healthier environments, stronger communities, and spaces that inspire connection and creativity. I plan to align that purpose-driven ethos with Seattle’s entrepreneurial energy to nurture a studio culture rooted in trust, collaboration, and innovation.”