Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, James Cutler earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s in Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, then earned a second Master’s Degree from the Louis I. Kahn Studio Program (1974).

Since 1977, he has been principal of his own design firm, Cutler Anderson Architects (formerly James Cutler Architects), on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The firm of fourteen has received six National Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects and over 50 national and regional design awards.

Frequently a juror for design competitions, James has taught architectural design courses for Dartmouth College, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Universities of California at Berkeley, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, Washington, Oregon and Middlebury College.

In 2015, Jim was inducted as a National Academician to the National Academy Museum & School in New York City. He is honored to join fellow members Maya Lin, I.M. Pei, Richard Meier, Frank Gehry and many more.

Bainbridge Island Architect Jim Cutler Has Found the Perfect Pencil
The Louis Kahn–trained architect and lifelong tinkerer tells us about the tools he can’t work without.
An Architect and His Preteen Daughter Built This Tiny Backyard Retreat Together
On Bainbridge Island, Jim and Hannah Cutler create a cabin for reading and working.