Portland, located in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, is recognized for its vast tracts of greenery, which include parks, forests, and stunning mountaintops. Locals love living here. It’s a lovely city about an hour’s drive east of the beach and an hour’s drive west of the mountains. Portland is well-known for its geography, food and drink, arts and culture, and other attractions.
Many Portland firms looking to expand in the city want to work with leading commercial architects to design their spaces. We have created a list of the best commercial architects in Portland, Oregon, to assist you with your construction process.
Hennebery Eddy Architects
921 SW Washington Street, Suite 250, Portland, OR 97205
Hennebery Eddy Architects is an architectural, interior design, and planning company specializing in historic resources and net-positive design solutions. Rooted in a long-term perspective and its net-positive philosophy, the firm strives to foster environmental responsibility, be economically viable, and establish a sense of place. The practice is a Certified Passive House Consultant, holds affiliations with the Passive House Institute U.S., and has a Living Future accreditation.
The company is recognized as a JUST Organization under the International Living Future Institute’s 2.0 program and was named an Architect Magazine Top 50 Firm. Hennebery Eddy Architects is a recipient of the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region Firm Award and has been serving clients across the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West from its Portland, Bend, and Bozeman offices.
GBD Architects, Inc.
1120 NW Couch Street, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97209
GBD Architects was founded in Portland in 1969 to focus on understanding people and creating goals. The firm evaluates how each area is used and enjoyed as well as the history of a location. The firm today has 11 principals and three directors, Kent Pottebaum, Phil Beyl, and award recipient Katherine Schultz. Schultz was honored as one of the Pacific Northwest region’s most notable businesswomen for blazing trails, leaving an imprint on the community, and making a difference.
The firm is widely reputable and associated with the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council, the Beyond Green™ High-Performance Building Awards, and Citation Awards. The firm has also been featured by Architect Magazine, GRAY Magazine, Forbes Magazine, The Business Journals, Bend Bulletin, ArchDaily, and DJC Oregon.
SERA Architects
600 SW 10th Avenue, Suite 500, Portland, OR 97205
Bing Sheldon had always wanted to start his architecture firm. He brought his family from Denmark to the Pacific Northwest after learning from a former classmate that Portland was a place with a rich past and a promising future. Bing worked at two architecture firms before forming a new design firm with a colleague in 1968, which became SERA. SERA has been repeatedly acknowledged for its well-deserved honors in innovation, teamwork, and environmental practices. The firm has received multiple AIA awards across a range of categories. The current principals are Joe Pinzone, Stuart Colby, Lisa Zangerle, Tim Smith, Natasha Koiv, Kurt Schultz, and Clark Brockman.
SERA is a dynamic group of intellectuals, collaborators, and artists who aspire to impact the world through thoughtful planning and durable design. SERA was created in 1968 in Portland, Oregon, during the city’s inspired revitalization of the downtown. Today, the firm builds on that enthusiasm for urban renewal and continues to adopt a forward-thinking approach to its profession.
ZGF Architects
1223 SW Washington Street, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97205
ZGF Architects has offices in Los Angeles, Seattle, DC, New York, and Portland—the latter serves as the firm’s headquarters. Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership, the company’s previous name, was created in 1942. It is Portland’s most prominent architecture practice and has won numerous awards, many of which are environmentally focused. ZGF was ranked fourth in the United States by Building-Design and Construction in 2011.
ZGF was voted the number one architecture firm in the country by Architect in 2016—they cited the company’s sustainability initiatives as a critical component in deciding its prestigious placement. Locals frequently rate the company among the top firms in the Portland Business Journal. Since 2013, Ted Hyman has served as the firm’s managing partner. ZGF has completed various projects in various industries, and most Portland residents will notice its work in many of the city’s well-known landmarks, including the Oregon Convention Center, OMSI, portions of the Portland International Airport, and Nike.
Bora Architecture & Interiors
720 SW Washington, Suite 800, Portland, OR 97205
Bora Architects has established itself as a reliable architectural design partner in Oregon. This firm is founded on a solid foundation of design, sustainability, and innovation, as well as a strong dedication to positive social influence. Its 60-year history is a testament to the quality of its work and continuous service, which has received praise from its network of consumers, many of whom have been devoted repeat clients for decades. The studio has also received prizes from the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region, AIA Portland, and the Portland Business Journal.
Bora’s core team includes design and managing principals Amy Donohue, John O’Toole, Jeanie Lai, Christopher Linn, Michael Tingley, Stephen Weeks, and Brad Demby. These seasoned experts and AIA and FAIA members come equipped with the vast industry background that has shaped the landscape of their studio’s design process.
TVA Architects
920 SW Sixth Avenue, Suite 1500, Portland, OR 97204
When design principal and FAIA Robert L. Thompson launched the firm in 1984, TVA Architects’ studio was inspired by a fascination for the modernist movement. Bob and fellow principals Mandy Butler, Tim Wybenga, and Pam Saftler—all seasoned industry veterans—incorporate this design specialization into every project.
TVA Architecture’s culture is distinguished by award-winning design and team competence. The firm has won 43 AIA National and Regional awards, and it has also won Local Design Awards for Excellence, a GSA National Design Honor Award for Sustainability/Adaptive Reuse, two Governor’s Livability Awards, a BOMA International Campus of the Year Award, and a Custom Home Magazine Grand Design Award.
Scott | Edwards Architecture, LLP.
2525 E Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97214
Scott Edwards Architecture was founded on the belief that unique design solutions are the product of collaborative work between architects, clients, and craftspeople. The firm guides clients through their alternatives via historic design principles interpreted through a contemporary lens. Each project completed by the firm begins with a comprehension of the potential and limits, followed by the development of methods to lead the creative process. The firm’s office believes that the ultimate result of the construction process should be a project that accurately represents the client’s distinct demands and preferences, is site responsive, and is technically sound.
Sid Scott moved into his basement and started his architecture practice. After being raised in Montana, graduating from Montana State University, and spending five years in San Diego, he relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 1990. He became a partner with Architects Van Lon/Edwards in Portland. Scott founded his firm seven years later, and Edwards joined him a year later to form Scott | Edwards Architecture. Since then, the company has grown organically and it now employs 58 people full-time.
Opsis Architecture
920 Northwest 17th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209
Opsis Architecture is a company for those who care about the environment. The studio acknowledges the difficulties of sustainability, climate change, and environmental responsibility. Opsis has multiple sustainable technological “firsts” on its resume, many LEED ratings, and two net-zero projects. Case studies of innovative projects are published by the firm and then discussed at national sustainable design conferences. Opsis also developed the Northwest’s first LEED-certified student recreation facility, the country’s first LEED Gold community recreation center, and 23 registered LEED projects, 11 of which are LEED Gold certified and five of which are LEED Platinum certified. The firm also designed the country’s largest naturally ventilated academic facility.
Opsis holds affiliations with the American Institute of Architects, the International Interior Design Association, is a recipient of LEED Platinum/Gold/Silver ratings, and is staffed by LEED-accredited professionals.
Holst Architecture, Inc.
123 NE 3rd Avenue, Suite 310, Portland, OR 97232
Holst Architecture is a women-owned design firm of talented experts led by partners Kim Wilson, Kevin Valk, Dave Otte, and Renée Strand. Its value system is based on the belief that the human experience of space informs and prioritizes its solutions, so it can be sure that a holistic concept guides every project from design to construction.
Since 1992, the firm’s skilled designers in the Central Eastside Industrial District of Portland have been creating innovative places tailored to each client’s needs while expressing the highest environmental, social, and aesthetic ideals. Its most recent recognitions include the 2020 AIA Oregon Architecture Design Awards Merit Award, the 2019 AIA Northwest + Pacific Region Design Award of Merit, and the 2019 Multi-Housing News Award of Excellence for Design + Development.
Holst Architecture’s projects have appeared on the pages of renowned publications like DJC Oregon, The Lund Report, Metropolis Magazine, Architect Magazine, Architectural Record, ArchDaily, The Architect’s Newspaper, and Portland Tribune.
Skylab
413 SW 13th Avenue, Suite 200, Portland, OR 97205
Established two decades ago in Portland, Skylab is curious, dynamic, and experimental. It is staffed by architects, designers, creators, and entrepreneurs working together across various landscapes and locations. The firm offers unique and customized services, but its greatest value is in its holistic approach to problem-solving across the disciplines and offerings of architecture, interior design, branded environments, and planning.
Some of the awards Skylab has received include the 2021 Commercial Wood Design Mid-Rise Award for Outpost from the Woodworks Design Awards and the 2020 Commercial Award given to Sideyard by the American Architecture Award. Several press members have also been drawn to the works of Skylab. ArchDaily, Architectural Record, Archinect, The Architect’s Newspaper, DJC Oregon, Designboom, Floornature, and Metropolis Magazine have featured some of the firm’s work.
Bassetti Architects
721 NW 9th Avenue, Suite 350, Portland, OR 97209
Since 1947, Bassetti Architects has designed places where people learn, work, play, and connect. They believe that architecture is most successful when it authentically reflects client goals and thoughtfully interacts with its surroundings. Bassetti’s mission is to foster healthy communities through learning and design. Their offices in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington are comprised of talented teams of architects, interior designers, graphic designers, planners, and office support. Bassetti’s goal is to articulate their clients’ visions into projects of inspired design and enduring quality. While their approach to problem-solving and design is consistent, their end results are unique to client and community goals.
Bassetti Architects has been acknowledged by the U.S. Green Building Council, The Design-Build Institute of America, and the International Living Future Institute. The firm is also a recipient of the 2019 AIA Oregon Unreinforced Masonry (URM) Award, the 2018 Restore Oregon DeMuro Award, and it has been featured by publications like Peninsula Daily News, Architect Magazine, Engineering News-Record, USA Today, The Seattle Times, and Vancouver Business Journal.
LRS Architects, Inc.
720 NW Davis, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97209
LRS Architects, established in 1976 by Bill Ruff and Steve Lee, has continuously received favorable client feedback and won over 60 accolades for their work. Managing principals of note include T. Paul Frank, Trish Nixon, Dan Purgiel, Steve Mileham, and Paul Boundy. The firm has also been repeatedly named as one of the best in Portland by The Portland Business Journal. LRS is well-known for its impressive commercial portfolio, and it also excels in residential and public works projects.
The firm has headquarters in Portland and Shanghai, China. Portland Business Journal awarded the Erickson Fritz Apartments, a studio project, the Commercial Real Estate Community Impact Award in 2016. The New Seasons Market Woodstock also won the 2016 Association of Retail Environments Sustainability Award.
Oculus Inc.
1050 SW 6th Avenue, Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97204
Founded in 1994, Oculus is a full-service architectural, strategic facility planning, interior design, and move management company with offices in St. Louis, Dallas, and Portland. From its inception, the firm set out to offer a broad but directed set of services built to meet voids in the offerings of traditional architectural and interior design firms. Born out of corporate America, it understands the needs of its clients from the owner’s perspective. With its BIM experience, the firm can leverage that knowledge from planning and design through construction and post-construction.
Oculus’s Portland office is led by managing principal, Robert Hoffman, AIA, NCARB, who has more than 30 years of architectural practice and association leadership experience. Hoffman holds a master of architecture degree from the University of Oregon and earned his degree in environmental design from North Carolina State University’s College of Design. Before joining Oculus, he served as managing principal for a Portland-based architecture firm, supervising and leading the design-build delivery of projects in the hospitality, entertainment, and residential market industries. Hoffman also served as executive vice-president and CEO of the Portland chapters of the American Institute of Architects from 2014 to 2019.
Ankrom Moisan Architects
38 NW Davis Street, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97209
Ankrom Moisan Architects—a national practice established in 1983 and headquartered in Portland—received the Portland Sustainability at Work Gold Workplace Certification. The firm’s portfolio contains award-winning mixed-use student housing, affordable housing, offices, hospitality, medical, and senior living communities such as the Mirabella, which received the ULI Global Excellence Award. Ankrom Moisan Architects’ goal is to create spaces where individuals and communities can thrive.
The firm is based in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle and works across the entire West Coast. Among its many awards are ranking first for its work on the Aegis Overlake under the Senior Living category during the DJC Oregon 2021 Top Projects awards, the 2019 CRE Transformer Award Winner from Portland Business Journal, and the 2018 Gold Nugget Merit Award.
Soderstrom Architects
1331 NW Lovejoy Street, #775, Portland, OR 97209
Founded in Portland in 1984, Soderstrom Architects offers comprehensive architectural, interior design, and planning services. The firm is a group of 40 architects, designers, and support staff that recognizes its responsibilities to society and the environment. The firm’s design philosophy is committed to client-focused design and an inclusive, collaborative design process. The building types it specializes in include K-12 education, higher education, civic, industrial, wineries, and distilleries.
President Marlene Gillis has over 23 years of professional experience and she has been working on school projects since the beginning of her career. As a nationally-certified educational planner with A4LE and a state-certified assessor with the Oregon Department of Education, she sees projects with a uniquely balanced lens. Soderstrom Architects’ exquisite projects have been featured by multiple publications under her oversight, including ArchDaily, DJC Oregon, St. Helens Chronicle, KGW, Oregon Live, The News-Review, and The Business Journals.
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