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We are a collaborative,
people-first architecture firm.
Our design approach puts the vision, goals, and needs of the people we design for at the heart of our creative process.
We design buildings for people–for what they do, who they are, and what they need.
Our vision is a world that is People First.
Defined by an affinity for new challenges, our expertise transcends niche focus.
We purposely design in a range of markets so that when our team’s experience and array of perspectives combine, it results in unexpectedly creative solutions.
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Scott Edwards Architecture is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and our award-winning design firm is licensed to practice architecture in Oregon, Washington, and 30 other states. SEA has been providing architecture, interior design, and planning services throughout the Pacific Northwest on a wide range of project types since our founding in 1998. We pride ourselves in being able to draw from our civic, healthcare, education, commercial, hospitality, community, multi-family housing, residential, and planning experience to add a thoughtful, well-rounded perspective to each project.
We explore uncommon routes to reach our destination, sometimes looking to unusual sources for the best path forward. Lucky for us, we work in diverse places and have seen first-hand how a design for one sector can inspire a stronger design in another. Cross-market collaboration, a balanced portfolio of work between non-profit, private, and public clients, and a passion for leaving no stone unturned are critical to how we work. From public works facilities to wineries to affordable housing, we offer demonstrated experience that can inform projects in surprising and beneficial ways.
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Our firm’s ethos, “People First. Design Forward.” directly translates in to our methodology for successfully creating responsive places. We care deeply for people—our clients, staff, and communities—and believe these voices ultimately determine how our designs come together. We put people at the heart of our process, tapping into our strong listening skills, curiosity, and diligence. Once we fully understand how a building can best serve and delight users, both now and in the future, then and only then can we drive the design forward.
For us, designing forward means giving shape to change. It means looking ahead, around, and within for the best solutions. It means using our power as architects to visualize a world that is more harmoniously inhabited, shared, and enjoyed, and then build it. In practice, this results in impactful, sustainability-minded places that prioritize longevity and are imbued with meaning. To ensure that places like breweries, libraries, hotels, restaurants, aquatic centers, offices, and more, are comprehensive and immersive, we consider how end users will feel in and move through the space. Clients can expect from Scott Edwards Architecture close collaboration that results in experiential places. Our process prioritizes discovery—discovering not only what the place should be, but how it should be experienced and the why behind the choices that we make together.
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Our architecture is not limited to any one approach—we design new builds, renovations, adaptive reuses, additions, tenant improvements, and more, using materials and systems that help achieve our client’s vision, including designing with innovative materials such as mass timber. We also provide often-sought services like feasibility studies, site analyses, space planning, and master planning, all invaluable tools that help clients determine next steps. No two projects are the same, nor should they be, and by digging into what makes a project unique, we translate what we gather into design solutions unlike any other.