The theme of Seattle Design Festival 2021, EMERGE, sought to inspire action, and addressed the consequences of the pandemic to nurture new possibilities. Emerging is a process of adaptation, of transforming the way we interact, collaborate, and create. How can community-driven design strategies carry us forward? How will we emerge better? This moment calls for diligence, self-awareness, and compassion. It requires design-thinking focused on re-establishing quality connections between people and places.

Rolluda Architects partnered with Absher Construction and AlphaGraphics to create “Emerging Phoenix.” The installation was a space of reflection for the purpose of rebirth. 2021 was difficult for some and traumatic for others. In response to this and the coming re-emergence, we aimed to offer a reminder of past resilience where we have recovered and grown from historic events. Images of the past remind us of how change has impacted our lives in different ways and will continue to influence how we continue to adapt to our changing world.