Seattle architect Willoughby Daniel “Dan” Calvin was born November 5, 1932, in Seattle and graduated from West Seattle High School in 1950. Upon graduation, he decided to attend a small private liberal arts college in Ohio, Hiram College, where he graduated with a degree in Mathematics in 1954. It was there that he met his future wife, Mary Ellen Barnett.

Returning to the Pacific Northwest with his young wife, Calvin decided to go back to school and entered the University of Washington’s architecture program. As one of their top students, he was awarded a $250 scholarship from the Northwest Plasters’ Bureau in 1959. After graduating with a master’s degree in 1960, he took a job as a draftsman with the architectural firm of Bystrom & Greco.

With experience in hand, he opened his own firm in the late 1960s. Projects include a home for his parents, Dr. Warren and Mildred Calvin, in Seattle’s Fauntleroy neighborhood (c. 1965, 9309 Fauntleroy Way SW); the Nick & Marilyn Chapman House (853 97th Ave SE, Seattle, AIA/Seattle Times Home-of-the-Month – Dec 1968); and the Corinthian Yacht Club (1969).

In 1970, Calvin formed a partnership with Isadore M. Gorasht. They were joined off-and-on by James J. Sanders, but the duo of Calvin-Gorasht remained active into the mid-1980s.

Together they made a name for themselves designing custom homes. While they completed designs for builder speculative houses, they also designed high-end homes for individual clients. Known projects include the “Four Seasons” Model Home for the Tam O’Shanter neighborhood (1971); a house at 4560 143rd Ave SE, Bellevue (1973); the Joseph Sutter House (1974, 9311 Fauntleroy Way, West Seattle; AIA /Seattle Times Home-of-the-Month – Feb 1974); the Wallace House (1975, 8619 NE 24th St, Bellevue, AIA /Seattle Times Home-of-the-Month – March 1975); the David & Joyce Grauman House (1978) which overlooks Lake Washington in Bellevue; completed alterations to the Dr. Torgerson House (1978) in Auburn; and the Stewart House on Vashon Island (1982).

They also were awarded contracts for numerous commercial and recreational facilities including the Olympic Stain Headquarters (1971, 1148 NW Leary Way, Seattle-King County Board of Realtors Environmental Award); the Harrison Townhouse Demonstration Project which was part of an FHA Housing project/Seattle Model Cities Program (1970, unbuilt); Lake Wilderness Park Facilities (1972, Seattle AIA Honor Award, Red Cedar Shingle & Shake Bureau Merit Award); Meadowbrook Swimming Pool (1975); Rotary View Park (1976); the ENI Building in Bellevue (1983, with SOM, 110th & NE 2nd St (WA Precast Concrete Industry Award); and the Mount Baker Rowing & Sailing Center (1985).

Calvin practiced architecture until illness forced him to retire in 2001. He passed away in Seattle on September 25, 2003, after a long battle with cancer.

– Michael C Houser