It seems I always knew I wanted to be an architect.
Some of my earliest memories are around age 3 or 4 taking whatever toys or construction things that I could find around the house and making structures on the living room floor.
A few years later, my urge to build became more ambitious. Scavenging unused wood from my grandfather’s property, I constructed a small playhouse in the corner of my parent's backyard.
I've always loved to see ideas get built.
Three months after graduating with my Architecture Degree from UC Berkeley, I was called in to interview for a job at the Portland Planning Department.
While touring drawers full of beautiful drawings, I asked my interviewer, “Which of these projects have been built?”
“None of them” was his reply.
That moment, I realized consciously what I seemed to know intuitively from a very young age.
I wanted to be on the side of architecture that got things done and buildings built.
Needless to say, I didn’t take the job as a planner.
Instead, my first job out of school was at a small contractor’s office where I became immersed in the world of construction. The understanding I gained became a solid foundation for my future self-sufficiency as an architect.
After this first pivotal work experience, I spent the next twelve years working at a few of the larger architecture firms in Portland.
My decision to start my own practice in 1985 came from a desire to return the close knit, family like atmosphere that I’d found at the contractor's office.
This small scale, personalized way of working suits not only my own family-centered, “people person” personality but also allows me to provide my clients with the high level of attention and responsiveness that they deserve.
When I’m not working with my clients on getting their projects built, you’ll likely find me enjoying quality time with my wife, four sons, and four (soon to be five) grandkids or attending a Blazer’s game.
I look forward to learning more about you and hearing the story of your project. Click here to contact me for a complimentary phone consultation.
