Born in Everett, Washington, August 30, 1939, architect George Carl Oistad, Jr. grew up in Seattle and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1957. His father was heavily involved in the building trade industry, rising to the level of Vice President of the Olympic Stain Company. This exposure led Oistad to an early interest in architecture.

Following in the footsteps of his dad, Oisted attended the University of Washington and, like his father, spent time on the university’s crew team. He graduated with a degree in Architecture in 1963; then attended the Harvard School of Design for a master’s degree.

While it is unknown where Oistad landed directly upon graduation, by 1968 he was working to help open a Seattle branch office for the Los Angeles-based architectural and interior design firm Morganelli-Heumann & Associates. Within a year, Oistad had been promoted to project architect. The firm had been hired to complete the interior design details for the new offices of Seattle First National Bank tower – 18 floors in total. Oistad and his associate, Jim Par, served as co-project architects for the bank project and, at the same time, collaborated on the design of the Mirabeau Restaurant – an upscale French restaurant on the 46^th floor. Noted for its 160 mirrors, brass and glass light fixtures, and its leather, teak and rust colored fabric, the restaurant quickly became one of the top spots in Seattle for fine dining.

During his time with Morhanelli-Heumann, Oistad also worked on the interiors of the Holiday Inn in Bellevue (1969). Another notable project was an eight-unit apartment complex which he called the Hoven Apartments (1970; 5231 22^nd Ave E). Located near the University of Washington campus. The building was designed for young married graduate students and served as home to Oistad and his wife for several years. The building was featured in a multi-page spread in the Seattle Times PNW Living section, and was the only Seattle dwelling featured as an “apartment of the year in the annual record of houses” in the 1971 issue of Architectural Record.

In 1971, Oistad left Morganelli & Heumann and joined the ever-growing firm, The Richardson Associates (TRA). In 1980, along with Robert J. Nixon and Edward A. Duthweiler, Oistad became an Associate Partner at TRA.

Under the new leadership team, The Richardson Associates grew into one of the largest design companies in the Northwest with 180 employees and offices in Boston, Denver, and Anchorage. To run such a large firm, the company expanded to eight partners (which included Oistad) and 13 associates who made various decisions, each representing specific disciplines. The firm continued to expand and, in the following year, took on a minority partnership firm, Black & Veatch, from Kansas City, Missouri. 

Notable TRA projects during Oistad’s tenure with the firm include the Peoples National Bank Headquarters (1973) in downtown Seattle; Office Building II / Social & Health Services Building (1975) on the capital campus in Olympia; One Union Square (1981, project director); the Camp Orkila – Wally Fisher Lodge on Orcas Island (1982 Citation, American Wood Council Design Awards); the Sheraton Hotel in Tacoma (1984, partner in charge, Seattle AIA Honor Award); Correction Centers in Monroe and Clallam Bay; the Washington State Convention Center (1986-88); the Seattle Metro Bus Tunnel system and stations (1990); and the King County Aquatics Center (1990) in Federal Way.

In 1995 Oistad retired from TRA and passed away in Seattle on December 28, 2008 at the age of 69.

– Michael C Houser