Principal

Principal Jim Cary was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri, and spent his 20s studying and working on the East Coast, the Midwest, Mountain States and West Coast. He is versatile and adaptable, and solves problems. Jim enjoys an active project leadership role, as well as the rewards from great team communication and collaboration. Jim has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Yale University and a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, is a LEED Accredited Professional, and holds architecture licenses in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Maryland and California.

Architect

Jesse Belknap was raised in Bedford, Massachusetts, and came to Seattle by way of Minnesota and New York City. Jesse’s architectural experience includes competition awards for affordable, sustainable home designs in New Orleans and the Aleutian Islands, as well as volunteer work to design housing for Seattle’s homeless community. Jesse holds a BA in Studio Art from Carleton College, an MS in Elementary Education from Mercy College and a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington. He taught art to elementary students in the Bronx and has continued to share his experience with students, most recently teaching computer drawing in the Interior Architecture program at Cornish College of the Arts. Jesse is a licensed architect in Washington State and fills a wide range of roles at Cardinal Architecture including project management, document production, IT and project photography.

Environmental Designer

Diego Ruiz Diaz is a native to the PNW region, born in Seattle and raised in Portland, OR. As a member of his high school’s Viking House crew, he and his classmates built award-winning homes, beating professional house developers 2 years in a row. Inspired by that program, he moved on to study at Montana State University’s School of Architecture where he received various recognitions for his design work, a publication in ScienceDirect, and finally his BA in Environmental Design in 2021. Combining his technical & design skills, Diego creates documentation and renderings at Cardinal Architecture.