Observation Studio

is a full-service architecture and interiors firm based in Portland, Oregon. Our philosophy is one of productive tension—between lyricism and technique; texture and clarity; generosity and precision. We seek with every project to understand the often multiple narratives and desires that drive each client, and to transform those drives into built space. 

Our work seeks to marry the subtle and the rustic; the narrative and the formal. We begin each project by finding its fundamental question, and then proposing and re-proposing possible answers to that question. We have completed state-of-the-art wineries; cultural facilities; live/work spaces; and finely detailed residences. Each project has given us a new understanding of the importance of material selection, orientation, program, and curiosity, and each has led us to form new and lasting relationships with local builders, artists, clients, and craftspeople.