Douglas Loren Cuykendall was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on February 24, 1920. However, he was raised in Mocassin, Montana, and came to the Pacific Northwest with his family in 1933, settling in Kent. During WWII, Cuykendall served with the Marine Corps and, after the war attended the University of Washington on the G.I. Bill. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in architecture in 1949. Upon graduation, Cuykendall worked for a variety of local architectural offices before forming a partnership with Marvin S. Iles and Harold P. Blean in 1956.

Together the Cuykendall, Iles & Blean firm designed a variety of buildings across the Puget Sound.  Notable projects include an educational wing for the Seaview Methodist Church (1958) in Seattle; a J. C. Penney Department Store (1958) in Kent; Missile Maintenance Buildings (1959) in Poulsbo; the Boeing Engine Test Facility (1959) in Seattle; and the Sealth High School Stadium (1965) in Seattle. The firm specialized in apartment buildings. Notable projects included the Malabar Apartments (1959), the Garfield Terrace Apartments (1960), and the Villa Capri Apartments (1960) all in Seattle.

When Blean left the firm in 1963, Cuykendall reorganized the office as Cuykendall, Iles & Associates. Projects during that time included the Western Optical Office & Laboratory Building (1966) in Seattle. The firm also took an active interest in historic preservation projects and rehabilitated Lincoln High School (1969-1971); the Coe Elementary School gymnasium/learning resource center (1971-1972, destroyed); and a rehabilitation project on the Old State Capitol Building (1983) in Olympia.

Cuykendall passed away in Poulsbo in 1985.

– Michael C Houser