Allied Works is the most accomplished architectural firm in Portland. Fortunately for them, but…read moreunfortunate for you and me, they only work on select high profile and correspondingly big budget projects, most out of town. But you can see some of their work, for free, around Portland, to be inspired. I worked on the architecture committee of one of their small clients who were part of a larger project at the big ad agency, I believe their second commission. The principal is a fearless visionary, not Howard Roark-Frank Lloyd Wright arrogant, and they hire very smart and easy to work with associate architects. We had a limited budget, which they honored. All the surfaces were clean and simple, with a few surprise materials such as a frosted glass wall. Early commissions include the interior of the main Saucebox Bar, Blue Hour, some mysterious landscape structures at the Maryhill Museum in Goldendale and the W+K ad agency offices, converted from a decaying ice storage warehouse to a seismically secure beehive with a soaring atrium. They designed the new Lincoln Hall entry, a few regional homes and are at work on the PNCA 511 building interior. Allied designed the interior of PDX Gallery, and if you make a road trip, you can see their Seattle Art Museum (North Wing) and Camp Caldera in Sisters, Oregon http://www.yelp.com/biz/camp-caldera-sisters. They also did the controversial redesign of the NYC Museum of Arts and Design http://www.yelp.com/biz/museum-of-arts-and-design-new-york-2. In this case, good redesign won out over questionable preservationism. Their signature is a series of clean planes and lines, which either pass over and through one another, or almost meet at 90 degrees, leaving a gap. They have a specialty in designing art museums and galleries where the planes are places to hang art and the gaps to admit illumination. Favored materials are minimalist and honest. For W+K, they hired Louis Kahn's concrete foreman, Richard Garfield, for an exposed, stories high, pristine concrete pour. The front of their Portland office is now a gallery programmed by PNCA's MFA art students, but the shows are never publicized. They have done residences, but rarely. They are a great firm to refer to your grandparent that sits on the building committee of a major art museum looking for a new building. For a sense of Cloepfil you can see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cX4O3x8oQ8. For most Yelp readers, they will be an example to contemplate, over cocktails at Saucebox, Bluehour, or an event at the ad agency, a Portland business that is world renowned.

I came to Propel for guidance when I was still forming the idea of Unicorn Bake Shop's first brick…read moreand mortar location in my head. I am SO glad I found them because they were an invaluable resource throughout the project! They helped me find and secure a location, find multiple excellent contracting firms to execute the project and spent hours with me nailing down every little detail. Tuan and Sam designed a beautiful shop that I love going to every day and I'm already eager to start working with them on our next brick and mortar someday. A total pleasure!

Working with Propel has been both a relief and a pleasure. Every question and concern listened to…read moreand treated with respect. Answers quick if not immediate. Explanations made, clarity maintained. Costs were clear up front, and they went out of their way to accommodate our work schedules and stayed after normal business hours. Worth way more than the cost, I highly recommend this group of dedicated, personable, and professional architects.

I hired Luis to design the remodel of my main bathroom. He provided us with perfect floorplans…read morealong with renderings. They were accurate and gave us a level of detail needed for permits. My contractor needed them quickly and Luis was able to deliver the plans within a week. We were on a tight budget and he worked with us all the way through staying within it. All around good service, great communication and even provided a bit of an education for me since I'm a newbie at this architecture design stuff. Once we finish this bathroom we're on to the redesign of the kitchen - I'll be back in touch with him next year! I would highly recommend his services.

Luis was referred to me. He was such a great help to us with our kitchen and bathroom remodel…read moreproject! He really has a good eye for design. He was great to work with, very responsive to our questions and concerns. We will definitely use him as an architect for future plans. Thank you Luis!

I have worked with Christopher on many projects over the past 4 years and have always been very…read moreimpressed by the quality of his drawings. His grasp of the construction process is excellent and his quality work really streamlines the process in all phases.

Working with Christopher Dorin has proven to be a great experience. Christopher analyzed our…read moreproject and offered brilliant ideas and suggestions to work around some pretty difficult angles. The plans he has provided are above and beyond what we expect and the vendors Christopher has referred us to help on other areas of need have also been 5 star all the way. It has truly been a wonderful experience working with Christopher. I can't wait to call him for our next project.

Awesome architect! We have had dealings with MacKensie for nearly a year and have always been happy…read morewith the results!

On time. Under budget…read more Quality work. Eco-friendly. Involved. Creative. Hired them to help make a home wheelchair accessible, and to help with minor work around another home. Did an amazing job at both places, and managed to integrate the wheelchair ramp into the design of the front of the house. They worked with our insane requests, and went above and beyond.

Green Hammer completed a small project at my house. I chose this company because of its commitment…read moreto environmental and social responsibility and I found that they truly "walk the talk". They were easy to work with, hold themselves to the upmost standards and incorporated sustainable building materials (FSC-certified wood) into our project. If I were planning a new custom residential or commercial construction project or remodel, I would definitely call Green Hammer.

Great firm focused on creating sustainable architecture with a focus on educational work.read more

From the owner: Since our founding in Portland, Oregon in 1999, Opsis has focused on the planning and design of…read morecommunity-based projects. Our expertise encompasses a broad range of projects including classrooms and laboratories, urban and campus planning, theaters and performance spaces, retirement communities and student housing, recreation and community centers, museums and art centers, and multi-use developments. We believe the most innovative and creative solutions are discovered by working collaboratively toward a common goal. Alec Holser and James Kalvelage formed Opsis Architecture with a common vision of creating architecture in an open studio environment dedicated to delivering the highest quality individual service and design excellence to every client.