Our Mission
We design beautiful, resilient places that bring people together in community. Inspired by urban applications of permaculture design, we explore new creative territories and remain as financially accessible as possible. We are absolutely committed to justice, equity, and inclusion as we respect the needs and priorities of all the individuals, families, and communities with whom we work and play.
We design beautiful, resilient places that bring people together in community. Inspired by urban applications of permaculture design, we explore new creative territories and remain as financially accessible as possible. We are absolutely committed to justice, equity, and inclusion as we respect the needs and priorities of all the individuals, families, and communities with whom we work and play.
Our Services
Communitecture is a full service architecture, planning, and permaculture design firm for commercial, institutional, and residential projects, typically leading projects from the conceptual design stage through construction. We provide design support services to communities, families, and individuals who want to push the design envelope in terms of ecological design, community building, and justice.
Our work often includes public processes to involve communities in design and decision-making for public place-making projects and individual buildings, and most frequently such processes are initiated and guided by communities for themselves. This process can often involve public presentations and educational workshops.
Communitecture provides the following design/construction services:
● Site Analysis Master Planning & Vision Planning
● Feasibility Studies (with other consultants)
● Existing Facility Analysis
● Land Use Reviews
● Code/Zoning Reviews
● Change of Occupancy Permits
● ADA Analysis/Upgrades
● Building Design and Documentation Space
● Planning and Interior Design
● Construction Administration
● Graphic Presentation Material
● Ecological / Sustainable / Permaculture Design
● Community Involvement Processes
● Special Gathering Place Design
● Project Consulting Services
● Fundraising Support
How We Work
Our designs emerge from a collaborative process rather than a preconceived approach or set of aesthetic preferences. We are successful because we relate to each client and project as a unique convergence of opportunities, and we play leading or supporting roles as each situation requires. We maintain professional standards for efficiency, creativity, and responsiveness, and at the same time our team enjoys an informal working atmosphere and flexible attitude in order to make the process enjoyable every time.
We are part of an interconnected community network and our team can grow to include as many members as required, depending on the scope of a project. Potential team members include: engineering specialists, green and natural builders, community facilitators and organizers, city and neighborhood leaders, artists, performers, teachers, and many volunteers.
Our firm size ensures close attention to each project phase. By investing firm members in the whole process we ensure that the best ideas can come forward, and develop with continuity whether it concerns big ideas or individual construction details.
Our designs emerge from a collaborative process rather than a preconceived approach or set of aesthetic preferences. We are successful because we relate to each client and project as a unique convergence of opportunities, and we play leading or supporting roles as each situation requires. We maintain professional standards for efficiency, creativity, and responsiveness, and at the same time our team enjoys an informal working atmosphere and flexible attitude in order to make the process enjoyable every time.
We are part of an interconnected community network and our team can grow to include as many members as required, depending on the scope of a project. Potential team members include: engineering specialists, green and natural builders, community facilitators and organizers, city and neighborhood leaders, artists, performers, teachers, and many volunteers.
Our firm size ensures close attention to each project phase. By investing firm members in the whole process we ensure that the best ideas can come forward, and develop with continuity whether it concerns big ideas or individual construction details.
The Firm's History
Communitecture began in 1998 as a collaboration of architects, designers, and planners who wanted to create artful and resilient projects in a dynamic and visionary atmosphere of friendship. The successful collaboration quickly became a design firm, undertaking numerous publicly-driven and private commissions, including many civic collaborations with the nonprofit City Repair Project. Since then, our work has always incorporated sculptural themes, historic sensitivity, ecological design, and community gathering places.
Today, communitecture’s headquarters embodies our values and vision, showcasing resilient design principles and features, including an urban food forest and numerous other permaculture related features. Our indoor and outdoor spaces frequently host evening and weekend workshops for local community groups, while the office itself is a shared space to a handful of other small businesses including: Safer States, an organization which supports legislation against toxic chemicals in our daily lives and products; resumehorse, a resume writer and job search coach who helps people find their perfect career transition; and the The City Repair Project, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering communities in Portland and beyond. Those of us sharing desk space together enjoy fostering our office community through activities like weekly potluck lunches and bike-commuting.
Communitecture began in 1998 as a collaboration of architects, designers, and planners who wanted to create artful and resilient projects in a dynamic and visionary atmosphere of friendship. The successful collaboration quickly became a design firm, undertaking numerous publicly-driven and private commissions, including many civic collaborations with the nonprofit City Repair Project. Since then, our work has always incorporated sculptural themes, historic sensitivity, ecological design, and community gathering places.
Today, communitecture’s headquarters embodies our values and vision, showcasing resilient design principles and features, including an urban food forest and numerous other permaculture related features. Our indoor and outdoor spaces frequently host evening and weekend workshops for local community groups, while the office itself is a shared space to a handful of other small businesses including: Safer States, an organization which supports legislation against toxic chemicals in our daily lives and products; resumehorse, a resume writer and job search coach who helps people find their perfect career transition; and the The City Repair Project, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering communities in Portland and beyond. Those of us sharing desk space together enjoy fostering our office community through activities like weekly potluck lunches and bike-commuting.
Leadership In Public Involvement
Mark Lakeman is a national leader in the development of ecological public places. In the last decade his work with communitecture and The City Repair Project has resulted in more than three hundred new community-generated public places in Portland, Oregon alone. He has also been instrumental in the development of The City Repair Project organizations in Canada and the United States. Mark has traveled broadly, working with governmental leaders, community organizations, and educational institutions in many diverse communities.
Keynote Presentations & Workshops include (partial list):
● “Mark Lakeman helps tackle the housing crisis…”, Streetroots, Portland, OR 2018
● “Can Tiny Homes Help Solve America’s Homeless Problem?”, Architectural Record 2017
● Designed For The Future, 80 Practical Ideas For a Sustainable World (Book) 2016
● Tactical Urbanism, (Book) Mike Lydon, Featured Projects 2015
Design Activism
● Mark Lakeman: Reclaiming Place in Urban Space, hosted by Creative Mornings
● Badass Democracy - Reclaiming the Public Commons, Mark Lakeman at TEDxSantaCruz
Mark Lakeman is a national leader in the development of ecological public places. In the last decade his work with communitecture and The City Repair Project has resulted in more than three hundred new community-generated public places in Portland, Oregon alone. He has also been instrumental in the development of The City Repair Project organizations in Canada and the United States. Mark has traveled broadly, working with governmental leaders, community organizations, and educational institutions in many diverse communities.
Keynote Presentations & Workshops include (partial list):
- Living Future Conference, Inspirational Speaker 2018
- Resilient By Design, The Bay Area Challenge, Climate Resilience Design Presentations 2017
- National Center For Disease Control, National Organization Livestream, From Portland 2017
- Community Built Association National Conference, Keynote 2016
- Habitat International Gathering, Livestream Speaker, Portland, OR 2015
- Taliesin West, FLW School of Architecture, Featured Speaker 2015
- Social Design Circle, Curry Stone Design Prize 2017
- National AIA Award for Multi-Family Housing, Cully Grove, Portland, OR 2017
● “Mark Lakeman helps tackle the housing crisis…”, Streetroots, Portland, OR 2018
● “Can Tiny Homes Help Solve America’s Homeless Problem?”, Architectural Record 2017
● Designed For The Future, 80 Practical Ideas For a Sustainable World (Book) 2016
● Tactical Urbanism, (Book) Mike Lydon, Featured Projects 2015
Design Activism
● Mark Lakeman: Reclaiming Place in Urban Space, hosted by Creative Mornings
● Badass Democracy - Reclaiming the Public Commons, Mark Lakeman at TEDxSantaCruz
Friends
The City Repair Project
The City Repair Project is group of citizen activists creating public gathering places and helping others to creatively transform the places where they live.
Orange Splot
Orange Splot LLC is a housing development company and general contractor with a mission to pioneer new models of community-oriented, affordable, green housing developments in Portland.
Witch Hazel Designs and Education
Permaculture, hollistic landscape designs and education.
Living Walls
Natural building company specializing in plasters made of lime, american clay, or individualized clay recipes.
Flying Hammer Productions
A Portland-based natural building company focused on infusing the urban fabric with natural materials and empowering people.
Born and Raised Construction
Born and raised in Buckman Neighborhood, brothers Simon and Rion Lyle are dedicated to increasing the livability of Portland, starting with building and remodeling homes to meet the needs of its residents.
Vital Systems
Creating inspired spaces with healthy materials.
Placecraft Design & Build
Crafting healthy homes and nature places
Renovation Innovations
Since 1994, Renovation Innovations has been delighting clients with high-quality work, punctual delivery and precise budgeting.
Street Roots
Street Roots creates income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty by producing a newspaper and other media that are catalysts for individual and social change.
The ReBuilding Center
Contributing to the sustainability and health of our environment by diverting for reuse waste that would otherwise have been discarded into landfills.
Sisters of the Road Café
Supporting community-driven solutions to the calamities of homelessness and poverty, in an atmosphere of gentle personalism and nonviolence since 1979.
Pistils Nursery
Offering a dynamic range of homegrown goods and services that actively supports the well being of our local economy.
Portland Voz
A worker-led organization that empowers diverse day laborers and immigrants to improve their working conditions and protect civil rights through leadership development, organizing, education and economic opportunity
Naturally Sukita
A natural building firm specializing on installation of earthen floors.
