Mahlum Architects has announced that John Edward Mahlum, a former partner of the firm, died on March 20 at age 85. John Mahlum was the son of Edward K. Mahlum, who established his architecture practice in Seattle in 1948.

The firm also has an office in Portland.

John Mahlum studied architecture at the University of Washington, earned a master’s degree from Columbia University, and served two years in the U.S. Army before returning to Seattle. In 1966, he joined his father’s firm, which later became Mahlum & Mahlum Architects, then Mahlum & Nordfors, and eventually Mahlum Architects.

“John led our firm with a gentle hand and unwavering vision,” Anne Schopf, Mahlum Architects’ director of design, stated in a press release. “My loyalty and commitment to Mahlum Architects are rooted in my deep respect for John, a man who embodied integrity, kindness, and purpose.”

Three significant projects John Mahlum worked on were the Eastside Campus for Group Health – now known as Kaier Permanente – in Seattle in 1977, the new Ballard High School for Seattle Public Schools in 1999, and the Suzzallo Library restoration for the University of Washington in 2002.

John Mahlum served as president of American Institute of Architects (AIA) Seattle in 1979 and became an AIA Fellow in 1983. He also served as a trustee of the Seattle Architectural Foundation, a member of the University of Washington Department of Architecture Professionals Advisory Council, and a trustee of the Nordic Heritage Museum.

John Mahlum retired in 1999, just shy of 10 years after the firm’s Portland office opened, Mahlum Architects spokesperson Erica Hildebrand stated in an email.

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