Born July 22, 1914, architect Charles Albert Lawrence Jr. grew up in Seattle and received his bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Washington (UW) in 1938. He continued his education in Boston, earning his  Master’s degree from MIT in 1939. In the summer during his schooling, Lawrence gained valuable experience working for a variety of architectural offices including a stint as a draftsman for the National Park Service (1937), then for the firm of Loveless & Frey in Seattle (1938), and the firm of B. Sumner Grozen in New Jersey (1939).  Upon his return to the Pacific Northwest in 1940, he took a job as a draftsman with the Seattle firm of McClelland & Jones (1940-1942).

In 1943, Lawrence formed a lasting partnership with fellow UW and MIT graduate George W. Hazen. The firm, which focused primarily on residential design, was published in a variety of architectural magazines including Popular Home, Architectural Record, and Better Homes & Gardens. Known projects include the John Irwin House (1940); the W.H. Connon Jr. House (1940); the Patricelli House (1947); the Floyd Flint House (1949); and the Susan Anne Apartments (1955) —all located in Seattle. Between 1954 and 1976, eleven designs by the firm were featured in the Seattle Times / AIA Home-of-the-Month program. The partnership also had the distinction of designing the first model home after WWII for the Seattle Home Show.

Other notable projects include their own office building at 8626 Roosevelt Way in Seattle which won an AIA National Merit Award in 1953 and received international press; the 2600 Thorndyke Apartments (1954); the Dr. Anderson Medical Clinic (1959); Crown Lutheran Church (1962); the Morrison Building (1963) in Kenmore; and the Bellevue First Baptist Church (1960).

The Lawrence & Hazen partnership lasted for over thirty years until Lawrence retired in 1988. He passed away in Seattle on July 12, 1991, just shy of his 77^th birthday.

– Michael C Houser