Golden Falls by Debra Van Tuinen

September 1, 2021

"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
— E.E. Cummings

It’s with great pleasure & delight that we re-launch our First Friday tradition! Please join us this First Friday, September 3rd (along with Clarke + Clarke, Barrels and other local Mercer Island businesses), as we welcome back celebrated PNW artist, Debra Van Tuinen. Golden Falls will be on display through the end of September. Not to be missed!

Join our (masked) festivities with a cocktail, fine arts and an outdoor plaza gathering at the SZ Gallery. Can’t wait to see you, in person!

First Friday: Red. White. Blue. - Debra Van Tuinen

June 24, 2021

"Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
— E.E. Cummings

It’s with great pleasure & delight that we re-launch our First Friday tradition! Please join us this First Friday, July 2nd (and Second Friday, July 9, along with Clarke + Clarke, Barrels and other local Mercer Island businesses), as we welcome back celebrated PNW artist, Debra Van Tuinen.

Kick off your 4th of July festivities with a cocktail, fine arts and an outdoor plaza gathering at the SZ Gallery. We miss you & can’t wait to see you, in person!

FIRST FRIDAY RE-LAUNCH: July 2nd, 5 - 7PM
Mercer Island ART WALK: Friday, July 9th, 5 - 7PM
MEET THE ARTIST: Friday, August 6th, 5 - 7PM

ARTWORK

To view Debra Van Tuinen’s website, click here.

Postcards from the Edge - Art Giveaway Winners

February 3, 2021

Until we’re able to re-open the SZ Gallery and safely host First Fridays, Suzanne would like to show her love with free art giveaways. Which of her three 4x6 watercolor postcards, offered on Instagram in January, is your favorite (clockwise from upper left)?

001, Memory
002, Resilience
003, Flow

Congratulations to the Winners - Don, Yalda & Laurent! Your watercolor Postcards from the Edge are on their way.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram & Facebook for upcoming Art Giveaways.

Illustration by Rafael Araujo, Arcchitect

Seattle Universal Math Museum [SUMM]

November 27, 2020

The Seattle Universal Math Museum (SUMM) is a non-profit organization striving to elevate the mathematical mind-set of people in the Seattle area, by enhancing their confidence and enthusiasm to rise to a higher level of success in mathematics. SUMM will not only have a positive impact on people's mathematical lives, but will also be an asset to the community, helping people reach their academic, career and financial goals.

Behind every great cause is a great team. This one is led by Founder, Tracy Drinkwater. Her background in business, technology, education, problem-solving and adventure have dovetailed in this project to start a Math Museum in Seattle. Out of her love for math and Tracy’s vision, Suzanne has joined the Board of SUMM, along side an array of enthusiastic professionals.

Latest & Greatest

Featured

June 29, 2026

Do you DADU? | Podcast Series with Shakiba Ahmadi, Architect.

June 29, 2026

Across the Greater Puget Sound region, communities are evolving towards greater density, flexibility, and multigenerational living. One emerging housing type that is gaining traction but still remains shrouded in mystery for many homeowners is the Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (DADU): an independent, self-contained residential structure located on the same lot as a primary single-family home. As interest in DADUs grows, so do questions about zoning, site conditions, cost, design decisions, and overall feasibility. SZ Design | Build is dedicated to helping homeowners navigate this shift with clarity, design intelligence, and care.

We are excited to announce our new summer podcast series “Do you DADU?”, hosted by SZ Architect Shakiba Ahmadi. This 8-episode series offers a detailed breakdown of the entire DADU process and timeline to answer some of the most common questions faced by homeowners. Each weekly episode will tackle a specific aspect of DADUs, with a dedicated field professional serving as a guest speaker to share their expertise on the subject - ending with the SZ team’s unique approach to DADU design and construction. With these series, we hope to give homeowners a deeper insight into the DADU typology and the confidence to explore their property’s potential to create a home that aligns with their future, families and lifestyles.

The series will release every Thursday at 10 AM, launching July 9 on the SZ Design | Build website, as well as on our YouTube channel. See below for a sneak preview of the episode schedule and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel below for series updates.

June 29, 2026

Summer Sahras at Suzanne's with Ya Hala!

June 29, 2026

Not every gathering is about the occasion. Sometimes it’s about the stories shared with an old friend or someone new, or the simple comfort of being surrounded by people who make a house feel like home.

In a heartbreaking world that moves quickly, gatherings remind us to slow down, regroup and create moments to hold on to.

Summer Sahras (gatherings) at Suzanne’s home on Mercer Island will be Fridays, July 10, 17 & 31, 6-9PM. Bring a plate to share, clippings from your garden for a centerpiece bouquet and/or an instrument to play. Suzanne has a piano & darbuka!

Ya Hala will be serving refreshing Spritzers for suggested donations. Will have cards, backgammon sets, and dominoes on hand, along with a houka or two…

Goal is to pause, breathe and be together. Yalla, join us!

June 29, 2026

Catalog of Art | We Are Palestine.

June 29, 2026

Delaney's Back!

June 29, 2026

After three long but rewarding years, Architectural Intern Delaney Carmen has finally graduated with a Master’s Degree in Architecture at the University of Washington and has returned to SZ Design | Build to kick off her professional career.

I feel very lucky to have been a part of UW's Master's of Architecture program. Architecture is an ocean of knowledge an inch deep, and I feel that I've at least got a sea's worth by now. Through this program, I've come to understand the things I'm passionate about: craft, storytelling, and intentionality. In an age where AI, corporate greed, and conformity dictate so much of our lives (and consequently, our built environment), I have used my education to learn how to actively fight complacency and ensure that my work as an architect is purposeful and authentic. A few of my favorite works throughout the program have been largely driven by those same passions.

Get a glimpse into her experience at UW through her reflection below.

June 29, 2026

March 5, 2026

PICHA - Women Shaping Creative Spaces

March 5, 2026

SZ Gallery has had the distinct pleasure of collaborating with Josiane Faubert, Artist and Photographer, born in Gabon. She is also the Founder of PICHA, a stock photo agency that brings curated, diverse visuals to brands and business looking to tell richer stories, inclusive of Afrocentric communities. Together, soulful exhibitions ranged from showcasing talented photographers selected during PICHA’s annual call to artists, Afrofuturism and SKIN, to a presentation of Weaving Stories, a visual storytelling book that celebrates the beauty, reslience and vibrancy of Afrocentric communities across the globe.

For International Women’s Day on Sunday, March 8, PICHA is preparing a special series highlighting women shaping creative spaces. It’s their way of not only celebrating creative talent, but also leadership, influence and impact. Suzanne Zahr has been invited to participate. She was asked these very thought-provoking questions below. How would you respond?

Who are five women who have shaped the way you see, build, or create?
How does your identity as a woman influence the way you work?
What is one structural change you would love to see in your industry that would meaningfully shift access or equity for women — especially women of color and intersectional voices?
What do you believe is your creative superpower?
What would you tell your younger self — or a young woman entering your field today?

March 5, 2026

How to care for your diasporic and immigrant friend…

March 5, 2026

This is a care guide for people who are still protected by some form of privilege, and who have immigrant and diasporic friends, partners, colleagues, employees, neighbors, etc. who are cut off from their home and support systems, and who are forced to navigate normality while being torn apart on the inside.

Experiencing war and disaster while in the diaspora is isolating, distressing and harrowing. Watching horror unfold back home while people around you fall into silence without extending actual care is also traumatic.

Care is deeply political. We know this because care can be commodified, weaponized and withdrawn as a form of punishment. If care is political, then choosing not to care is also political.

This is a care guide to make sure you don’t cause more harm.

March 5, 2026

January 28, 2026

Should I Stay or Should I go? Design & Permitting Process.

January 28, 2026

Ever wondered if it is better to substantially remodel and/or add-on to your existing home, rather than sell and buy another? Real estate values have gone up considerably, and in our current seller's market, it's the buying-back-in that can be costly if it's not timed just right.

Considering the resources involved in the design, permitting, & construction process, is it worth it to leverage the appreciation gained in your current house and transform it into your dream home?

The simple answer is: It depends. Each property is unique, and each family is different. The best thing to do is explore all options and make informed decisions with the help of your professional real estate, design, & build community.

We recently ventured down this decision-making process with our Mercer Island clients. They purchased a lovely 1,800 SF lakefront home a few years ago, but it didn't meet their family's personality & lifestyle. They selected Suzanne Zahr as their Architect to help lead them down a path of discovery that would ultimately result in an informed "go / no-go" decision.

With each phase of the design process, new insights were creatively explored and considered. Here's a brief summary of our collaborative journey in creating their 4,500 SF dream home.

January 28, 2026

December 16, 2025

Tour: Architect's Home + DADU on Mercer Island

December 16, 2025

Enjoy a sneak peek into an Architect’s new home on Mercer Island. Perched uphill from her recently built 750 SF Guest House, Suzanne Zahr’s beautiful 3,300 SF family home is organized around a featured ‘spine wall’ running North-South, paying homage to an indigenous rammed earth building methodology. A split ridge roof with clerestory windows is seated above, allowing for natural light to travel through the main living areas from dawn to dusk. Thoughtful site orientation and efficient space planning enable passive solar design to maximize heat retention and minimize energy use, which ultimately offers a general sense of ambient well-being. Taking advantage of the sloped site, the stormwater gravity flows into an on-site detention tank, minimizing the impact to municipal stormwater drainage system that flows into Lake Washington.

December 16, 2025