Robert Hull was (1945–2014) was an American

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and co-founder, with David Miller, of the architectural firm

Miller Hull The Miller Hull Partnership is an architectural firm based in Seattle, Washington, founded by David Miller and Robert Hull. The firm's major works in the domains of municipal, commercial, and residential architecture reflect a modernist aesthet ...

. Hull's notable works include the Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center and the

Bullitt Center The Bullitt Center is a commercial office building at the intersection of the Central District neighborhood, and Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington. It was officially opened on Earth Day, April 22, 2013.

, as well as many other award-winning civic, commercial and residential buildings in the Pacific Northwest completed over a 46-year career. Hull is the recipient of multiple architectural awards, a fellow in the American Institute of Architects, and served as president of the Seattle Architecture Foundation. Under Hull's leadership, Miller Hull won the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

prestigious Architecture Firm Award, making it one of only two Washington state architectural firms to have earned that distinction.

Career

Hull studied architecture at

Washington State University Washington State University (Washington State, WSU, or informally Wazzu) is a public land-grant research university with its flagship, and oldest, campus in Pullman, Washington. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest land-grant unive ...

, where he met future business partner David Miller. After graduating from Washington State in 1972, Hull joined the

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...

, where he spent 4 years building sustainable schools in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. Hull began his career working for modernist Marcel Breuer in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, and Rhone & Iredale in

Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. In 1977, Hull and Miller founded Miller Hull in Seattle. Hull's architectural style has been characterized as pragmatic and modernist. His buildings reflect a sensitivity to context, or "sense of place", and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability. The ENR award-winning Bullitt Center is the first commercial building in the USA to receive project certification from the

Forest Stewardship Council The Forest Stewardship Council A. C. (FSC) is an international non-profit, multistakeholder organization established in 1993 that promotes responsible management of the world's forests via timber certification. It is an example of a market-ba ...

In 2013, Hull returned to Afghanistan to build a heath clinic and a school for girls in the cities of

Herat Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...

and

Mazar e Sharif , official_name = , settlement_type = City , image_skyline = , pushpin_map = Afghanistan#Bactria#West Asia , pushpin_label = Mazar-i-Sharif , pushpin ...

, the same communities in which he had served as a Peace Corps volunteer at the beginning of his career. He died on April 7, 2014 of complications from a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

Notable buildings

(Seattle) * Fisher Pavilion ( Seattle Center) * Conibear Shell House (

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW, simply Washington, or informally U-Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1861, Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast; it was established in Seattle a ...

) * Technology Access Foundation school (Seattle) * Vancouver Community Library (

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, WA) * Open Window School (Seattle)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hull, Robert Architects from Washington (state) 1945 births 2014 deaths Washington State University alumni Architects from Seattle