Robert L. Durham

The Fort Okanogan Interpretive Center near Brewster, completed in 1960.

The clock tower of Demaray Hall of Seattle Pacific University, completed in 1968. The clock tower of the Daniel J. Evans Library of Evergreen State College, completed in 1971. Robert L. Durham (1912–1998) was an American architect in practice in Seattle from 1941 to 1977. He was president of the American Institute of Architects for the year 1967–68.

Life and career Robert Lewis Durham was born April 28, 1912, in Seattle to William Worth Durham, an architect, and Abbie May (McNett) Durham. He was educated in the Tacoma public schools and at the College of Puget Sound and the University of Washington, graduating from the latter in 1936 with a BArch. After a year with B. Dudley Stuart he joined the Federal Housing Administration as a construction engineer. In 1941 he rejoined Stuart in partnership, forming the firm of Stuart & Durham. They dissolved partnership in 1951, and Durham continued the firm as Robert L. Durham & Associates. This became Durham, Anderson & Freed in 1954 with the admission of associates David R. Anderson and Aaron Freed to full partnership.

Durham developed a general practice but was particularly noted for the design of churches, many of which won awards for their design. but HDR continues to maintain a Seattle office.

Durham joined the American Institute of Architects in 1942 as a member of the Washington state chapter. He served as chapter president for 1954–55 before being elected Northwest and Pacific regional director in 1961, and was later elected president for 1967–68. After his presidency Durham represented the AIA on a General Services Administration special study committee on the selection of architects and engineers. He was a vocal supporter of the Brooks Act of 1972, which required that all architects and engineers selected for federal projects be evaluated based on their qualifications, not their bids. Durham was chancellor of the College of Fellows in 1979 and was awarded the Edward C. Kemper Award for service to the institute in 1981.

Durham was elected a Fellow in 1959, and after his presidency was elected to honorary membership in the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Society of Architects of Mexico and the Architects Association of Peru.

Architectural works Magnolia UCC, 9140 California Ave SW, Seattle (1947) Shorewood Heights, 3209 Shorewood Dr, Mercer Island, Washington (1949) Student Union Building, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle (1958–60) Bothell UMC, 18515 92nd Ave NE, Bothell, Washington (1959) Fire Station 5, 925 Alaskan Way, Seattle (1963) Seattle Public Library Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave SW, Seattle (1963) Atmospheric Sciences–Geophysics Building, University of Washington, Seattle (1969) Horizon House, 900 University St, Seattle (1970) Daniel J. Evans Library, Evergreen State College, Olympia, Washington (1971) Otto Miller Hall, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle (1974–76)