Who we are...
Our office of thirteen professional staff are registered architects and architecture school graduates from a variety of education and experience backgrounds, prior office experience, and project and client involvement. Along with high school interns and our administrative support staff, we provide personal and engaged involvement with design teams regularly throughout the project development, while mentoring the next generation of architects and specifiers.
Striving to build skills and confidence in our recent graduates and our intern staff, they're engaged through direct project and management experience. All our staff participate in the specifications process at each level of development, from proposals and contract negotiation, through specifications production and coordination, bidding phase and project administration assistance, client support and marketing.
Project visits, fabrication shop tours, conferences and trainings, and office retreats keep us connected to each other and the work we do for our clients, retain our awareness of advances in materials and products, and maintain our internal cohesion, enthusiasm and quality of work. One of the company's goals is to produce the next generation of architectural specifications writers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Striving to build skills and confidence in our recent graduates and our intern staff, they're engaged through direct project and management experience. All our staff participate in the specifications process at each level of development, from proposals and contract negotiation, through specifications production and coordination, bidding phase and project administration assistance, client support and marketing.
Project visits, fabrication shop tours, conferences and trainings, and office retreats keep us connected to each other and the work we do for our clients, retain our awareness of advances in materials and products, and maintain our internal cohesion, enthusiasm and quality of work. One of the company's goals is to produce the next generation of architectural specifications writers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Our staff are achieving great things!
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One of our specifications manager's, Yanet Orozco Gomez, co-founded the Portland professional chapter of NOMA, the National Organization of Minority Architects, in 2020.
Then those same founders, along with the vibrant and growing membership, within a couple years of starting the chapter won their bid to bring NOMA's 2023 National Conference to Portland in October 2023. This same group has now gone on to start a new student NOMAS chapter, based at Portland State University, of which another of our staff Donaldo Zarate-Rincon is President. We're proud of their involvement! |
Engaging with our clients and colleagues in architecture and the arts...
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Michael, Ben and Tony will attend the Monterey Design Conference in California October 25 to 27, on the grounds of Julia Morgan-designed Asolimar.
Representatives of our client, Allied Works, will present their work, including diplomatic and museum projects we've specified for them. |
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Several of our staff attended the Oregon Design Conference in Bend May 8 to 10, where the theme addressed the current housing crisis, sustainability, and resilience.
We saw many of our Pacific NW clients there and together explored ideas for how to improve conditions for more fair, equitable, resilient and sustainable housing. |
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In late May, Michael presented about specifications and DfMA with Ergodomus and other prefabrication design leaders . DfMA stands for “Design for Manufacture and Assembly” and is a methodology for identifying and quantifying materials, eliminating waste and inefficiencies, and ensuring ease of fabrication and assembly.
His presentation reviewed the tolerance requirements included in specifications for the variety of materials that constitute a building's structural system, show how differing tolerances can cause problems at intersections of assemblies, and explain how specifications can reconcile this. |
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Several of our staff attended the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland each year in March, and we host our annual invited dinner with industry leaders - Let us know if you'll be there!
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Michael traveled to Venice in November to attend the Biennale Architettura 2023, a biannual exploration, examination and celebration of architecture that attracted over 285,000 visitors from May through November this year.
While there, Michael also met with an established mass timber structural engineer based in the Trento region, Ergodomus, planning collaborations for future presentations together. In early December, Michael attended Art Basel in Miami Beach with our clients at Zyscovich, exploring the changing trends of art and design. He also visited the offices of some of our Miami-based clients, including 2+ Architects. |
Getting together for tours, conferences, learning and staff celebrations...
Zena Forest Products tour, July 2024
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Tour of UO Portland Architecture School, June 2024
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Timberlab shop tour, June 2024
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Deamor shop tour, June 2024
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Tour of OSU College of Forestry, May 2024
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Tour of OSU Advanced Wood Products Lab , May 2024
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Office Birthday Lunch, May 2024
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Portland Millwork shop tour, February 2024
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Office Birthday Lunch, January 2024
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AIA Oregon Design Awards, Portland, October 2023
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AFO Honored Citizen Dinner, Portland, Oct. 2023
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End-of-Summer Office Party, September 2023
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Tour of Portland Int'l Airport renovation, Aug 2023
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Site visit to Thesis HQ, Portland, August 2023
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CSI Master Specifier's Retreat, Park City, July 2023
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Schluter Systems workshop, San Diego, May 2023
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Site visit to Thesis HQ project, Portland, April 2023
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Attendees dinner, Int'l Mass Timber Conf., Mar. 2023
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Int'l Mass Timber Conference, Portland, March 2023
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Western Partitions plant tour, Portland, March 2023
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PSU School of Architecture critiques, March 2023
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Office holiday party at Fortune, Portland, Dec. 2022
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AFO Honored Citizen Dinner, October 2022
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Ofrenda de oficina por Dia de Muertos, October 2022
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Office farewell lunch at Screen Door, October 2022
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Site visit to Cascada multi-family project, Oct 2022
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Office summer party, Portland, September 2022
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Portland CSI Golf Tournament with clients, Sept 2022
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AIA YAF FutureOCCUR, Pittsburgh August 2022
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CSI Portland Industry Forum, Portland, August 2022
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Office retirement lunch at Bullard Tavern, June 2022
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AIA Oregon Design Conference, June 2022
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Site visit to Las Adelitas multi-family, April 2022
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Office lunch for work anniversaries, April 2022
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International Mass Timber Conference, April 2022
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Back-to-the-Office Party II (Indoors), March 2022
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Site visit to Crescent Grove Cemetery, February 2022
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Timberlab's fabrication facility tour, September 2021
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Back-to-the-Office Party I (Outdoors), July 2021
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Office's virtual holiday party, December 2020
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Site visit Portland Int'l Airport projects, Dec. 2020
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Office picnic, Washington Park, September 2020
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Site visit OSU Hatfield Marine Science, August 2019
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Site visit French American Int'l School, August 2019
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Portland Mtl's Transpr'ncy Council panel, June 2019
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Hartung Glass plant tour, Salem, February 2018
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Site visit First Tech Credit Union, January 2018
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AIA YAF Practice Innovation Lab, Wash. D.C. Oct 2017
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Michael Thrailkill AIA NCARB CDT LEED AP
Founding Principal |
Pronouns: he, him
(founded the firm November 2014) |
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Michael is a licensed architect in Oregon and Florida, with 31 years of professional experience working in architecture practices on both the east and west coasts. He has managed the design and specification of buildings in most states and many countries, across various project types and as many systems of construction.
Michael is a member of the American Institute of Architects, a Certified Documents Technologist with the Construction Specifications Institute, and a LEED Accredited Professional with the U.S. Green Building Council. He has been an invited participant at the AIA Young Architects Forum's Practice Innovation Lab, working with emerging professionals, architecture leaders, and entrepreneurs to envision the design practice of tomorrow, and regularly attends architecture and art conferences and events that challenge common assumptions and standards. Michael believes strongly in mentoring the next generation of architectural specifiers, and has created a firm that provides young architects and recent architecture graduates the tools and leadership needed along that path, with opportunities to work with an unequaled collection of clients and projects. |
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David "Skip" Brown AIA CCS
Architect, Specifications Leader |
Pronouns: he, him
(from April 2020) |
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David uses his career-long experience with project management and specification writing to incorporate our past project information, products and systems into our baseline specifications database. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects, a licensed Architect in Oregon and Arizona, and a Certified Construction Specifier with the Construction Specifications Institute. David has practiced architecture at many Portland-area architecture, engineering and property management firms. He enjoys gardening and reading in his pastime.
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Adam Snow
Specifications Manager |
Pronouns: he, him
(from August 2017) |
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Adam is a Bachelor of Science graduate from the Portland State University School of Architecture. He provides specifications management, project documentation and editing support for our specifications work.
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Yanet Orozco Gomez NCARB CSI NOMA
Specifications Manager |
Pronouns: she, her
(from February 2020) |
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Yanet is a Bachelor of Science graduate of Portland State University's School of Architecture. She's a co-founder and board member of NOMA PDX. As an immigrant and first-generation college student, Yanet is passionate about architecture that supports the well-being of immigrants, first-generation youth, and BIPOC communities. She provides specifications editing, Project Manual production and product and material research, as well as managing projects.
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Tony Pham AIA NCARB CSI
Specifications Manager |
Pronouns: he, him
(from August 2021) |
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Tony is a Bachelor of Science graduate of Portland State University's School of Architecture. He provides specifications editing, Project Manual production, and recently began coordinating our baseline specifications, incorporating consistent language and improving our coordination meeting process.
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Ben Stickney NCARB CSI LFA
Specifications Manager |
Pronouns: he, him
(from February 2022) |
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Ben is a Bachelor of Science graduate of Portland State University's School of Architecture. He provides project management, specifications editing, Project Manual production, and product and material research. Holding a Living Future Accreditation, Ben leads the in-office sustainability workgroup and is involved in incorporating appropriate and ever-changing sustainability standards into office baseline and project specifications.
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Levi Eads
Specifications Coordinator |
(from October 2023)
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Levi is a graduate student at Portland State University's School of Architecture. He provides specifications editing and Project Manual production, and is involved in incorporating appropriate and ever-changing clients' design requirements into project specifications.
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Sofia Martorell
Specifications Coordinator |
Pronouns: she, her
(from August 2023) |
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Sofia is a Bachelor of Interior Design graduate from Universidad Abierta Interamericana (UAI) School of Architecture. She provides specifications editing and Project Manual production, and is involved in incorporating appropriate and ever-changing clients' design requirements into project specifications.
Sofia works on contract remotely from Buenos Aires, providing critical work flow aligned with our east coast clients. |
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Florencia Padilla
Specifications Coordinator |
Pronouns: she, her
(from August 2023) |
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Florencia graduated from Universidad Argentina de la Empresa as an Interior Designer. As an intern, she provides specifications editing and Project Manual production, and is involved in incorporating appropriate and ever-changing clients' design requirements into project specifications.
Florencia works on contract remotely from Buenos Aires, providing critical work flow aligned with our east coast clients. |
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Donaldo Zarate-Rincon
Specifications Coordinator |
(from November 2023)
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Donaldo is an undergraduate architecture student at Portland State University and currently serves as the President of its NOMA Student Chapter (NOMAS). He is passionate about fostering community among minority architects and bridging the gap between students and professionals. As an intern, he provides specifications editing and Project Manual production, and is involved in incorporating appropriate and ever-changing clients' design requirements into project specifications.
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Paola Meneses
Specifications Coordinator |
Pronouns: she, her
(from February 2024) |
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Paola graduated from Universitat Ramon Llull La Salle Barcelona with a Master of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency and received a Bachelor of Architecture at Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas. As an intern, she provides specifications editing and Project Manual production.
Paola works on contract remotely from Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico, providing valuable project support as well as critical work flow aligned with our east coast clients. |
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Augustina Nurnberg
Specifications Coordinator |
Pronouns: she, her
(from February 2024) |
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Agustina graduated from Universidad Católica de Santa Fe with a Bachelor of Architecture, and post-graduate urbanism studies at Universidade do Algarve. As an intern, she provides specifications editing and Project Manual production.
Augustina works on contract remotely from Posados, Argentina, providing valuable project support as well as critical work flow aligned with our east coast clients. |
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Robert "Bob" Tolman
Specifications Coordinator |
Pronouns: he, him
(from February 2024) |
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Bob is a U.S. Navy veteran working and former chef looking to change his professional career. He remotely in Portland, providing valuable project support as well as critical work flow aligned with our west coast clients.
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Tatjana Babic
Specifications Coordinator |
Pronouns: she, her
(from April 2024) |
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Tatjana is a graduate student in the architecture program at Portland State University, and previously graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in History of Art with emphasis on Architecture and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies.
As an intern, she provides specifications editing and Project Manual production, and is involved in incorporating appropriate and ever-changing clients' design requirements into project specifications. |
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Bertha Madrigal
Office Administrator and Human Resources |
Pronouns: she, her
(from April 2022) |
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Following several years providing bookkeeping services to the firm, Bertha joined our team as an office administrator and human resources leader. Her extensive experience providing similar services within local, non-profit organizations allows her to bring a high level of understanding, empathy and compassion to her tasks. Meanwhile, her life-long passion for accounting serves us well as we expand our client base and explore new regions for growth.
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Barbara Alexander
Office Greeter and Learning Administrator |
Pronouns: she, her
(from March 2022) |
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After many years supporting one of our longest-term clients, Barbara came out of retirement to join our team. She brings her charm and magical spirit to the office, lightening staffs' morale and brightening our moods in gray Portland! Barbara's a welcome part of the office, keeping us all fed, educated, meeting on time and laughing.
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Dennet Latham AIA CDT
In memorium |
(from September 2016 to June 2022)
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It is with great sadness that we remember our staff member, colleague and friend Dennet Latham, who passed away in November 2022. Our staff joined Dennet's family, friends and colleagues for a beautiful ceremony of remembrance in December which revealed aspects of his life that others hold dear to their hearts, as we shared our own. Dennet joined our staff soon after his 'retirement' from a long career at CH2M/IDC (previously CH2M Hill, and later Jacobs), SRG Partnership, other firms here in Portland, and places further afield.
Dennet's knowledge, caring guidance, wit and wisdom were shared broadly. This was especially meaningful among our younger staff, for whom he proved patient, caring and mentoring. Dennet developed the specifications for our first constructed mass timber building, which held a record as the largest in the U.S. for a couple years, and he continued to oversee the development of our own baseline specifications, as well as mass timber-specific specifications for Timberlab and the Wood Products Council.
Images below of Dennet engaged with our staff show how important he was to our team and the spirit in our office. Here's a link to a memorial to Dennet and his life, achievements and connections in our lives and community. We remember him fondly and with grief at his departure from our lives.
Dennet's knowledge, caring guidance, wit and wisdom were shared broadly. This was especially meaningful among our younger staff, for whom he proved patient, caring and mentoring. Dennet developed the specifications for our first constructed mass timber building, which held a record as the largest in the U.S. for a couple years, and he continued to oversee the development of our own baseline specifications, as well as mass timber-specific specifications for Timberlab and the Wood Products Council.
Images below of Dennet engaged with our staff show how important he was to our team and the spirit in our office. Here's a link to a memorial to Dennet and his life, achievements and connections in our lives and community. We remember him fondly and with grief at his departure from our lives.
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Dennet's retirement lunch, June 2022
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Professional involvement resources:
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Employment Opportunities:
Please refer to our Career page.
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The company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to equal treatment of all employees and applicants. We recruit, hire, promote, and transfer qualified persons into all job classifications without regard to race, color, national origin or citizenship status, religion, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, parental status, veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or other basis protected by law and guided by equitable practices. Our wages and salaries are transparent and updated annually based on the latest AIA Small Firm Compensation Report.
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