4D Architects

Since 1985, 4D Architects has designed award winning custom homes in Seattle and the Eastside communities of Kirkland, Bellevue, Clyde Hill, Medina, including many luxury mountain homes in the Cascade resorts. Barbara Pickens and Ben Mulder have deliberately kept their firm small to remain closely involved with the projects they take on. Concentrating on this concept of intimacy, Ben and Barbara have assembled an experienced team of technical and support staff who collaborate to make your goals a reality with the careful detailing and thoughtful integration of building systems, framing and materials. 4D’s clients love their homes and typically live in them for decades, while often returning with additional projects. However, the best compliment is their personal recommendation of 4D to friends and neighbors. Barbara is comfortable at every level of design. She has been actively involved in city and environmental planning, upscale office and custom home designs from as small as 900 square feet to as large as 33,000 square feet. She particularly excels in difficult sites, embracing the opportunities and challenges they provide. For custom residences, Barbara's aim is to design a home that fits and reflects her client and their family; one that will grow with them through generations. Her approach incorporates timeless design, functionality and green design principles. For owners with a passion for detail, Barbara creates elegant details and spaces, including gallery spaces, energy-efficient lighting designs, and one-of-a-kind cabinetry. Ben is a gifted designer whose three-dimensional imagination is surpassed by few. His incredible eye for form, detail and practicality is reflected in the unique beauty of his designs. Ben has an unerring instinct for what will sell in larger, luxury-builder homes, as well as a savvy touch with efficient, smaller residences. He works with builders, and their clients, to create homes with great visual appeal, and he is well-versed in designing homes for flat, sloped, or waterfront sites. Builders appreciate Ben’s designs so much that several have asked him to design their personal residences. His designs have received recognition and numerous awards, both locally and nationally.