Hello, my name is Brannon Ellinwood! I am a graduate student at the University of Washington currently obtaining a master’s degree in architecture and a certificate in historic preservation. I am proud to be Docomomo US/WEWA’s Summer 2025 Researcher on Modern Sacred Spaces.
While pursuing an undergraduate degree in architecture at the University of Texas, Arlington, I developed an interest in historic preservation. During my academic career I have done research on historic buildings in Texas, such as courthouses, cabins, and halls built over 100 years ago. My research in Texas led me to two houses in Fort Davis that were threatened with demolition. Advocating for their preservation deepened my appreciation for the cultural, environmental, and architectural significance that historic structures bring to our built environment. Now based in Washington, I’ve continued to expand my knowledge of regional architectural history, learning how design reflects local culture and identity.
I am excited and grateful to be working with Docomomo US/WEWA and Professor Tyler Sprague this summer to explore the impact of modern sacred spaces in the Puget Sound region. When architecture is thought of, churches, chapels and holy grounds are often overshadowed by great works of commercial, civil, and residential architecture. These buildings may be used by communities privately or publicly, holding their space of worship as beyond sacred. My research project this summer, Modern Sacred Spaces, will cover buildings designed by prominent Northwest modern architects who molded worship and sacred grounds into modern design. The project also recognizes these buildings and share their importance to the public. Their importance is not just design, but also meaningful to the communities that reside around them, and how they have shaped cities in the Pacific Northwest. I could not be more honored to learn, understand, and contribute to the recognition of these communities, the architects, and the buildings that have defined the Pacific Northwest.
