David Cole AIA, Principal
Conifer Studio founder David Cole grew up in a Navy family, and this brought him to the Chicago area the summer after high school. He had always been interested in architecture and design, and inspired by Chicago’s rich architectural heritage, enrolled at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1995 to begin his formal studies. That same fall, he began his professional career by accepting a position as a part-time student intern at the Chicago office of Perkins & Will.
Since that first internship, David has been responsible for design and production on a wide variety of project types across the country, ranging from small residential renovation projects in quiet suburban neighborhoods to multimillion-dollar multifamily, institutional, and corporate projects in major cities across the United States. His experience includes tenures at venerable architecture firms in Seattle, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, including multiple laureates of the national AIA Firm Award. He founded Conifer Studio in 2025 to provide professional architectural design and consulting services to clients in the Seattle area and beyond.
When not engaged in professional practice, he can be found renovating his house in Bremerton, listening to the music of Pink Floyd and various alt-rock artists, enjoying Coen brothers movies, and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Professional Experience
Environmental Works, Seattle
Mahlum Architects, Seattle
STUDIOS Architecture, New York
Moore Ruble Yudell, Santa Monica
Dattner Architects, New York
Mekus Tanager, Chicago
Perkins & Will, Chicago
Education
Master of Architecture, University of Cincinnati
Bachelor of Arts, DePaul University
Summer Architecture Studio, Columbia University
Architectural Studies, University of Illinois at Chicago
Affiliations
Registered architect in Washington and Ohio
Certificate holder, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards which allows for reciprocal registration throughout the United States and most of Canada.
Member, American Institute of Architects
LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction.