Josh Architects
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Josh Brincko started his architectural career in Ohio's industrial landscape, working with established firms before making his way to Seattle, where he has spent more than two decades shaping residential and commercial projects across the Pacific Northwest. His educational foundation comes from Kent State University, where he earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in architecture, then trained under recognized architects like Stuart Silk and Geoff Prentiss. This combination of formal training and practical mentorship shaped an approach to design that refuses to treat drawings as finished products. Brincko sees architectural plans as tools that must work in the real world, adapting to actual job-site conditions rather than remaining theoretical on paper. This philosophy makes Josh Architects distinctly practical, favoring solutions that solve genuine problems over designs that create new complications.
The firm's ADU specialization reflects deep familiarity with Seattle's regulatory environment and the specific challenges homeowners face when adding a secondary dwelling to their properties. His project portfolio includes multiple ADU configurations: basement accessory dwelling units built within existing homes, detached backyard DADUs on the same lot, and adaptations of existing structures like adding mother-in-law suites to craftsman homes. This range of experience means the firm understands not just how to design an ADU but how to navigate Seattle's complex permitting landscape, the specific zone requirements that change by neighborhood, and the practical questions that emerge when fitting a second dwelling onto a residential lot. Josh Architects serves the Seattle metropolitan area, including neighborhoods across Ballard, Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, West Seattle, and Greenwood, plus surrounding communities like Kirkland, Woodinville, and Sammamish, and has reached as far as Whidbey Island and areas near Roslyn.
The design and permitting process at Josh Architects moves through a transparent nine-step sequence that keeps clients informed at each stage. It begins with feasibility analysis, where the firm investigates zoning codes, setback requirements, and other regulatory constraints specific to the property's location, charged as a flat fee of approximately $600. Next comes measuring and documenting the existing home and site, typically running around $3,500 for standard residential properties, after which client and architect formalize their working relationship with a written agreement. The concept design phase then generates rough floor plans and exterior perspectives that help the client visualize what the finished ADU might look like. Once the concept is approved, the firm commissions structural engineers, civil engineers, and surveyors as needed to coordinate the technical work. The permitting phase involves preparing complete permit documents and submitting them to Seattle's Building Department, with Josh Architects working through the approval process alongside city officials and addressing any code questions or corrections that arise during review. Following approval, Josh Architects then produces the detailed construction drawings that builders will use on site, including all technical specifications and material details.
After construction drawings are finished, the firm helps the client send plans out to bid, working with multiple contractors to compare proposals and costs. This phase lets the homeowner choose a builder based on actual qualifications and pricing rather than simply accepting the first estimate. Once a builder is selected, Josh Architects provides construction administration throughout the building phase, which Brincko emphasizes as the most important phase of the project. During this period the architect makes site visits to verify that the work matches the drawings, catches problems early before they become expensive, and ensures the finished ADU meets code requirements and the client's vision. This hands-on involvement distinguishes the firm from architects who hand off the drawings and never return.
Pricing at Josh Architects falls in the middle range of the industry standard, which typically runs from 5 to 20 percent of total construction costs. Design fees are billed hourly, allowing flexibility for projects of different scales and complexity levels. For an ADU project, costs vary based on the configuration: a basement conversion is fundamentally different in scope from designing a new detached structure, and the regulatory challenge of a dense urban neighborhood differs from a property with more land. The initial feasibility analysis at $600 helps clients understand whether their specific property and zone even permit an ADU before committing to full design fees. This staged approach means homeowners aren't locked into a large expense before understanding whether their project is actually feasible.
What sets Josh Architects apart within Seattle's ADU design landscape is the combination of deep local regulatory expertise with hands-on construction knowledge. Brincko spent over a decade teaching architecture and design at the college level, developing his ability to explain complex ideas clearly to clients who may have no building background. His design awards in both architecture and furniture design suggest attention to aesthetic detail, not just functional solutions. His additional certifications as a nationally licensed soccer coach and past leadership of the Seattle Executives Association indicate someone embedded in the local community rather than treating it as a transaction. When speaking with his firm, clients are typically dealing with a principal architect who has personally worked through Seattle's permitting process dozens of times, not delegating the project to junior staff. This hands-on involvement is rare at smaller architecture practices, and Brincko's commitment to staying involved throughout construction sets the firm apart from consultants who disappear after the permit is granted.
The firm's approach assumes that the most elegant designs are those that solve real problems without creating new ones. Brincko's philosophy rejects design that sounds good in theory but fails in practice. This mindset especially matters for ADUs, where choices about parking, access, utilities, and privacy between the primary home and the new dwelling are not aesthetic concerns but practical necessities. Seattle's neighborhoods are diverse, and an ADU that works in a Ballard lot looks different from one on a Capitol Hill slope or a Sammamish acreage. Josh Architects designs with those specifics in mind rather than applying a template. For homeowners who want to understand not just what their ADU will look like but why each design decision was made, and who value an architect that remains involved through construction, Josh Architects provides the kind of partnership that extends far beyond approving a drawing.