We’re thrilled to have Mithun back at the Block Party this year with “SOUNDW(e)AVE,” a built installation made of interwoven natural straw wattles, reflecting the organic, reciprocal nature of feedback: a process that is alive, layered, and rooted in relationships.

SOUNDW(e)AVE records the voices of attendees inside the structure, layering them into a generative audio loop and crafting a collective soundscape.

From Mithun: “Feedback, in SOUNDW(e)AVE, is not linear—it is not criticism handed down or opinions exchanged in isolation. It is instead a shared process of discovery and dialogue. Just as traditional wattle construction weaves disparate twigs into a single structure, feedback interlaces individual perspectives into something stronger and more resilient.”

Let’s dive deeper into Mithun’s process by hearing from the team!

Q&A with Evan & Reid:

FEEDBACK in design is…

Reid: FEEDBACK in design is… the driver which sparks creativity and impactful ideas. Those ideas impact our community and the environment they occupy. Good architecture listens to the FEEDBACK of its occupants, endeavors to engage our senses, and ultimately results in people leaving with a memory. Design would not exist without feedback.

How do you use FEEDBACK in your work?

Evan: FEEDBACK emerges every day in architectural practice, from all directions — the client, the city, the builder, the boss 🙂 — as soon as you think an idea is ready for the press, a bit of feedback comes around and adds another step to the process. It’s an additive process, by way of requests or unforeseen criteria, but the goal of the designer must be to distill all of that into a product that is still legible, consistent, meaningful. A beautiful, functional design efficiently synthesizes all its requirements into a recognizable whole.

My favorite thing about my city is…

Evan: My favorite thing about Seattle has always been the views — of mountains, hills, trees, valleys, water. Thirty years into living here, I still get stopped in my tracks by new vistas of Mount Rainier, trying to comprehend its physical and temporal scale. It makes me feel small, temporary, but integral to the world around me.

What design object or story most strongly influenced your interest in design?

Evan: My parents and brother are artists, and my dad is an architect, so I grew up with a lot of passive exposure, but as a young kid I never really thought about being an architect. In 7th Grade I visited Los Angeles with my family, and seeing the Schindler-Chase House and the Eames House flipped some switch in my mind. Both are embodiments of a simpler, unencumbered life, with little distinction between living in or out-of-doors. The Schindler-Chase does it darkly, cooly, like a cave to take refuge in — the Eames, a crisp, light-filled, airy nest.

What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your work? What do you hope to contribute?

Reid: Design for positive change. This broad statement captures my desire to support community, act lightly on our environment, and bring joy to people through thoughtful space and innovative use of materials.