From the redevelopment of Portland’s Pearl District and South Waterfront, to the rebirth of Los Angeles’ South Park District, the principals at Atkins Dame (James Atkins and Dike Dame) have been involved in creating and inspiring visionary residential and mixed-use developments for more than two decades. This has all been with a determined focus on building thoughtful and livable places and communities for people to thrive. Involved in some of the most prestigious developments and redevelopments in the nation, many of the firm’s projects have revitalized and reinvented urban areas, while others have involved the master planning of entirely new neighborhoods. The firm’s success has been the direct result of their ability to work collaboratively with public and private partners to achieve public goals while finding solutions for urban and neighborhood needs.
Holst is an award-winning, women-owned architecture firm of 53 professionals with offices in Portland, OR and Minneapolis, MN. For 31 years a clearly defined value system and an open and collaborative approach has governed the firm’s design methodology. Holst designs for experience, always aiming to turn the ordinary into extraordinary. Devoted to creating meaningful architecture that people love, Holst believes that everyone deserves good design and strives to make a social impact with every space created. Holst creates healthy, functional spaces built for all people, built to last, supportive of social justice and respectful of the environment. The firm’s projects for nonprofit, education, residential, hospitality and commercial organizations have been widely published and recognized with over 60 design awards in the last 10 years. In 2020 they were named the AIA Northwest and Pacific Region’s Firm of the Year for outstanding contributions to the profession of architecture through their commitment to excellence in design and elevating the quality of the built environment.
Founded in 1968, SERA is a 100% employee-owned, multidisciplinary firm dedicated to making people’s daily lives better through its projects. SERA has played a key role in the development of its home city of Portland, OR, championing walkable neighborhoods, innovative reuse of existing buildings and ground-breaking sustainable design and construction. Today, the firm operates both in the Pacific Northwest and in Northern California, building on its long experience with adaptive re-use and historic renovations by practicing forward-thinking design and planning for mixed-use housing, hospitality, workplace and public sector projects. The firm’s projects have been recognized with multiple awards for design and sustainability, including multiple AIA Merit and Honor awards, SCUP/AIA Excellence in Architecture, Gold Key, IIDA Design Excellence and AIA COTE Top Ten and Top Ten +, among many others.
Essex General Construction is a privately owned construction company founded in Eugene, OR in 1987 by builders who love their craft. Employing over 60 people with work throughout Oregon and Washington, Essex has constructed over 2,700 apartments and over 3 million square feet of residential space. The firm has earned a reputation for their expertise and integrity, along with a deep support for non-profit organizations that improve the lives of the underserved in the communities in which they work.
