Inspiring the Inland Northwest through function and design aesthetics
By Jillian Chandler
Photo by Patrick Martinez
Founded in 2010 by Josh Hissong and Armando Hurtado, in the middle of an economic recession, HDG Architecture has evolved in every way imaginable over the past 14 years—both in terms of business function, design aesthetic and output. Licensed in 10 states across the US, including Idaho, Washington, Montana, Oregon, Hawaii, California and New York, Josh is proud of the organic growth the business has experienced, his team’s authenticity and freedom, and having the ability to design and execute the home of your dreams.
Q. For those who don’t already know … who IS Josh Hissong? As a person, a business owner, within his community?
A. I am a North Idaho native and currently reside in Spokane. I have many passions, but first and foremost, my 7-year-old son Luca, my heart. I’ve always been a bit of a sojourner. Nowadays, I travel all over the PNW, and a few times a year I travel abroad. Traveling is part meditation and part exploration for me. I love to experience culture, food and architecture wherever I can. Since I was young, I’ve had an affinity for design, which began as a server in restaurants. Not just aesthetic design, but functional design. I could quickly spot and improve the workflow of a restaurant’s back-of-house; occasionally the restaurant manager would give me the reins to make improvements.
Years later, that translated into working for designers, owning multiple restaurants, then owning and founding an architecture firm. While working for designers, coupled with my practical knowledge of commercial kitchen workflow, it became apparent to myself and others that I could leverage my talents and passions to benefit restaurateurs and hospitality professionals.
In 2006, I started designing commercial kitchens. A few years later, in 2011, I began collaborating with my (now) business partner, architect Armando Hurtado. This put me firmly on the journey of architecture fixation, which includes all facets of architecture and design. If I have downtime, I am probably reading or perusing design magazines, books or websites.
My day job is now running an architecture and design firm, HDG Architecture. As a designer and business owner, I strive to create an environment that is inspiring, fun and positive. My co-workers are all incredible at their roles, and all play a part in the growth and success of the firm and its subsidiary companies. My willingness to jump without a parachute has allowed me to seize so many opportunities that have allowed the firm to grow, not just in volume, but into towns and territories that we didn’t intend to reach. It’s been a very organic and unforced process.
As a community member, I and HDG give back in ways that benefit numerous nonprofits—both monetarily and through time and effort. I have sat on numerous boards and committees and am currently the host of the community podcast “If not now, when?” The podcast aims to bring together prominent and everyday members of the community to have real conversations about Spokane’s future, with an emphasis on how each of us gets to take part, individually and corporately.
Q. Please describe what you provide your clients through HDG?
A. HDG provides full-service architecture, design, branding—and really anything that will help a project stay cohesive from start to finish. We have built relationships with many of the great construction companies in the Inland Northwest and beyond. We work with state-of-the-art design software, allowing our clients to walk through their home/condo/commercial space in VR before a hammer is ever swung. This allows them to see and get a feel for every element within the design. We are hyper intentional about creating an amazing customer experience. Most of our clients have become lifelong friends. This isn’t necessarily part of a stated mission, it’s simply who we are. The human component of what we do is ultimately our biggest motivation.
Q. What keeps you inspired in your line of work?
A. The number one inspiration for me is and always will be the people that I work with in the office and the clients that are like a second family. Traveling also keeps me invigorated. In Europe, for instance, it’s so compelling to learn about the history of design, and to see in person how design has shaped places that are thousands of years old. For me, work begets inspiration, which begets work. I find inspiration everywhere!
Q. What do you find most rewarding about the work you do for your clients; the dreams you build for others?
A. One: helping to create something out of nothing. Two: making our clients feel cared for. And three: designing a home that seems too good to be true.
Q. HDG is committed to never selling out. Can you tell us more about this?
A. We started out when the economic odds were stacked against us, in a deep recession. We risked little because we had little. We started with passion, grit, determination, and with nothing to lose. We built our mission from the inside out, and at a modest pace. For us, design has always started with intrinsic value. We’re simply not wired to churn out McMansions; that would defy the essence of our being. It’s not hard to stick to your values when you don’t know otherwise. We know there’s a place for big developments and rubber-stamp design, but since it has never been part of our canvass or thought process, it’s more natural to stay in our lane of a design-centric, person-centric mission. We are committed to sticking to designing every project with the same amount of vigor, adventure and curiosity. It doesn’t matter if it is a $30 million home, a five-story mixed-use building, or a renovation on an old home that is asking for a reimagination. We love it all—and it all matters.
Q. You are currently in the midst of a big project here in Sandpoint. Can you share some details about the project and some of the cool features/amenities this build includes?
A. We are designing a few projects on the water in Sandpoint right now. One of which is a 22,000-square-foot company retreat/personal residence. We will all have to wait and see the finished product take shape over the next 18 months. The foundations were poured in October, and HDG project architect Michael Mannhard is overseeing the architecture, with HDG interiors director Aubrey Plaisance handling all of the interiors.
HDG Architecture | 230 South Washington Street | Spokane, Washington
509.321.5064 | info@studiohdg.com | HDG-Architecture.com | @hdg_architecture
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