Studio Temperate is a small nimble office with a diversity of experiences in the design and construction industry. We love turning complex problems into beautiful simple solutions. 

We care about doing great work, and also care about living a great life. Our office is located in historic Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle. On Fridays, you’ll be able to find us somewhere in the Cascade mountains, a place that fuels our creativity and energy.

design Philosophy

Buildings are important and worth doing well.

You live most of your life in your home, and it’s worth making it right.

We care about designing buildings that are sensitive, potent, and purposeful. Architecture can be calm when it’s needed, fun when it wants to be, and serious when it should be. If a designed space creates a meaningful improvement to the quality of your life, and will continue to for decades to come, that’s a success. 

We are named Temperate for a reason. We believe in the art of balance. This begins with our deliberate process, and extends  to how we navigate obstacles, and the outcome we want in the final product. To us, Compromise isn’t a 4 letter word. It’s a reaction to reality and a tool to find an optimum solution.

Our goal is to create an adaptable environment to be perfect infrastructure for your life - a comfortable haven to protect you from life’s extremes.

THE TEAM

ALEX HALE

OWNER

Alex Hale is a transplant from the midwest where he attended Iowa State University for degrees in Architecture and Environmental Studies. Before founding Studio Temperate, Alex was part of the team at SHED Architecture & Design as a project manager, worked as a custom furniture fabricator, and interned at multiple architecture firms. When he is not DIYing projects around the house or hanging out with his daughter, he tries to get outside and avoid picking up more hobbies.

A man smiling with a black and tan puppy on his shoulder during a walk in a park on a fall day.
A man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap with a child in a backpack carrier. They are outdoors near a house with a green roof and large windows.
First-person view of two yellow skis on snowy terrain, with tracks in the snow.
A small rustic wooden cabin in a dense forest of tall evergreen trees with green and yellow foliage.
The photo shows a wooden floor with part of it under construction or renovation. There is a cordless nail gun laying on the floor, along with some scattered black tape pieces, small wood pieces, and construction debris.
A person holding a small metal stencil with a hole in the center, positioned over their finger on a weathered wooden surface. An orange-handled knife is positioned above the stencil, and a metal bowl is in the background.
A heart shape outlined with dark-colored stones on sandy ground.
A dog standing on a rocky shoreline looking out over a calm body of water with hills and trees in the distance, and a partly cloudy sky above.
A young boy in a blue winter jacket and gray pants feeding a turkey in the snow, with snow-covered trees and a wire fence in the background.
A dirt hiking trail surrounded by yellow wildflowers in a green hilly landscape under a cloudy sky.
A person holding a large spiral metal drill bit in a workshop or construction setting.
A floating dock with yellow metal railings extends over a calm river, surrounded by dense green trees.

NATE RUSSELL

OWNER

Originally from the Rocky Mountains, Nate studied architecture at the University of Utah. Afterward he moved to New York to start graduate school and his career. In addition to working for architecture firms, he received his first solo project in 2011. Before moving to Washington, Nate visited the state twice for two of his favorite adventures, including climbing Mt Rainier and biking from Canada to Mexico. Nate’s current exotic adventures include exploring farmers’ markets and biking to work in the rain.

A man rock climbing on a steep face near a rushing blue river, wearing climbing gear, helmet, and sunglasses, smiling at the camera.
Three people in snow gear cross a snowy mountain landscape on skis, with a large snow-covered cliff and blue sky in the background.
Two young men riding horses on a snowy field with a fence and hills in the background.
Chopped cauliflower florets on a wooden cutting board.
A silver Mercedes-Benz camper van parked in a snowy parking lot with a backdrop of tall, snow-covered cliffs and a clear blue sky.
Two dogs, one black and white with floppy ears and a red collar, the other beige with curly ears and a bandana, sitting on a gravel ground outside a building with parked cars in the background.
Front view of a black vintage BMW car with a white license plate that reads '635 CSS', parked outdoors in a parking lot with other vehicles and trees in the background.
A person climbing a glacier with ice and snow, wearing a jacket and using climbing equipment, during twilight or early morning.
A yellow mountain bike lying on a forest trail with fallen leaves, alongside two dogs, one curly-haired and one white, standing on the trail surrounded by trees and ferns.
A woman walking her dog along a beach at sunset, with mountains across a lake in the background.
A person in outdoor winter gear, including a red hat and backpack, is walking across snow-covered terrain with mountain peaks in the background during sunset.