Bassetti Architects

Principals: Lorne McConachie, Marilyn Brockman, Rick Huxley, Greg Hepp

Specialty: Academic architecture, civic and cultural architecture, historic preservation

Year founded: 1947

2002 revenues: $6.5 million

Projected 2003 revenues: $6.5 million

Largest current projects: Seattle City Hall (with Bohlin Cywinski Jackson), Roosevelt High School, Federal Way Middle School, Madison Middle School

Annual gross revenues at Bassetti Architects in Seattle are expected to remain level this year — around $6.5 million — but that’s fine with Marilyn Brockman, one of four principals and company spokeswoman.

“We had $6.5 million in 2002, we’re projecting that for this year and we expect next year will be a lot like this year. When you’ve been in business since 1947 you strive for stability. It’s a nice legacy to work from and we have wonderful clients. From where I sit, it’s a lot of fun,” Brockman said.

The company’s current projects include Seattle’s new City Hall, a $72 million building under construction; an up-grade of the Roosevelt High School campus; pre-design studies for buildings on the University of Washington campus; restoration work for Trinity Episcopal Church and concept drawings for United Methodist in Seattle.

Even in a time of stability, “incremental growth” in the firm’s workforce has increased its staffing from 42 to 47 over the past 18 months, Brockman said.

The firm’s steady business continues despite an economy that has been harsh for many Puget Sound companies since September 2001, depending on market niche. For Bassetti, its strengths in the education field and government work, where funding is generally already in hand before an architect is hired, provides 90 percent of the firm’s business.

“There is a crying need for schools ... kids are there even in a difficult economy and parents want them educated.”

Private sector projects, the remaining 10 percent of Bassetti’s work, are still hampered by financing issues and construction delays, and non-profit organizations are also having a tougher time raising project money, she said.

“In the coming year, we anticipate the school market will continue to be strong. Non-profits are still raising money and with any luck some of those projects will break free and move forward,” Brockman said.