November 23, 2016

Spotlight on Brian Rich

Brian Rich

Seattle, WA
Master of Architecture ’16

Why did you apply for the Husky 100? 

I have a multi-faceted life and many of these facets do not have any direct connection with each other. While many of these parts had to be kept separate, I felt that they were related and that the whole of my life was far greater than the sum of the parts. The Husky 100 award gave me an opportunity to see myself as a whole person in a way that was not otherwise possible – and for others to understand and appreciate the rich complexity in my life.

What is your advice for current students who want to become a Husky 100?

You don’t have to try to be superhuman by being active in huge numbers of activities. It is more important to make thoughtful connections between what you learn at the UW (or anywhere) and the other aspects of your life. It’s more important to have integrity of your learning, beliefs and actions. Awareness of your self and your role in your different communities and how you share what you know among those communities is far more significant than being busy.

Be Unique, Be Different, Be Yourself!

What are you up to now?

My life remains almost as multi-faceted as it was when I was in school. I continue to work as a Construction Manager at the UW Capital Planning and Development, and am currently working on the West Campus Utility Plant, the NanoEngineering Sciences Building, Fluke Hall and for the future-proof use of our historic campus. In addition, I continue to accept more preservation projects in my practice as principal of Richaven Sustainable Preservation. I also serve as the president of the Northwest Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology and recently joined the Board of the University Heights Community Center as a subject matter expert on preservation and construction.

In short, I continue to seek ways to apply my theory of future-proofing and serve to improve our built environment.

See Brian’s Husky 100 profile.