Charlie Vos

Position: Architect and Principal

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy, Quincy College, Quincy, Illinois, 1968
Master of Architecture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 1978

Registration: State of Washington, 1982

Background: Charlie moved to the Northwest in 1969 and began work in Juvenile Corrections for Washington State's Department of Social and Health Services. While with D.S.H.S., he worked as Group Life Counselor at Echo Glen Children's Center and later in the community as a Juvenile Parole Counselor. At Echo Glen, Charlie was interested in using environmental surroundings to bring about appropriate behavior. As a parole Counselor, he was instrumental in developing an alternative school for delinquent and emotionally disturbed children.

Interested in studying further the effects of environment on people's behavior, Charlie entered the Master's Program in Architecture at the University of Washington, and graduated in 1978 with a Master of Architecture degree. His master's thesis, Planning Guidelines and Design Standards for Housing the Mentally Handicapped in the Community, was culmination of Architectural training and past experience in the social service fields. He received an American Institute of Architects Scholastic Award for "Excellence in the Study of Architecture".

Charlie served for seven years as a board member for The Community Psychiatric.

Experience: Charlie and Gary Sortun became partners in 1976. Since then Charlie has been involved in every aspect of architectural practice. A few of the projects Charlie has particularly enjoyed leading are: one of Washington's first solar-heated houses, the remodeling of an administrative office building for Foss Maritime, renovations for Queen City Yacht Club, and the Goodlin/McFarland residence in the woods on Bainbridge Island, the Sonnett Olsen Residence (winner of the "Home of the Year" Seattle Times/AIA Program in 1994), the major renovations of the Kelly/Driano Residence, the Tangborn Lewis Residence on Vashon Island, and the renovation and expansion of the Dexter + Cheney facility on Lake City Way in Seattle.

Charlie works well with Contractors, having been one himself, and enjoys the construction administration portion of a project. In the office, Charlie emphasizes clear communication and continually strives to make Sortun-Vos an enjoyable place to work.

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