Company Profile

Krister R. Allen

Krister Allen is the founder of Straight Line Building Design, based in the Northern Neck of Virginia. He grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1991 with a BS in Architecture. Throughout his tenure at the University he apprenticed under William H. Atwood (Atwood Architects), primarily involving resort ski and golf developments throughout the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first Straight Line Design Co. was established in Staunton, Virginia. Primarily a design/build construction company, SLDC also provided working drawings, site planning, specifications, and permit administration for bid solicitation to The Nelson County Community Development Foundation, a nonprofit agency of affordable housing.

With a lifelong love of the big mountains and in search of an affordable ski resort, he discovered the Pacific Northwest and relocated to Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1994. Shortly after arriving, he became a partner in Architecture 311.5 and opened the second Straight Line Building Design Company in 2006. Over the years, the firm engaged in both commercial and residential projects spanning the country from coast to coast. The firm’s residential work ranges from large multi-structure complexes and waterfront estates to small 250 SF remote wilderness cabins, with projects stretching from the Pacific Northwest — Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington — through the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, including Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. Commercial endeavors included public projects for the City of Sandpoint, as well as manufacturing additions to local industry, period renovations and restaurants.

Today, Krister continues to take on both commercial and residential projects across the country. Large or small, and often varied in architectural style — embracing traditional as well as modern solutions — every project remains representative and unique to each particular client’s preferences and needs.