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Master Planning & Urban Designin Portland, OR
Expert master planning & urban design in Portland. Licensed, insured, upfront pricing.
A commercial building earns or loses money every hour it is open, and in this climate much of that turns on how it meets the sun. We design workplaces, clinics, and tenant improvements that hold their temperature through a brutal summer, read as considered to the people who use them, and clear plan review the first time — because a delayed opening is the most expensive line item there is.
01 — What the commission covers
Inside master planning & urban design
- Orientation and shading tuned to cut cooling load off the code baseline
- Space plans built around how the business actually operates
- Tenant-improvement scopes negotiated against the landlord work letter
- Accessibility and code compliance resolved in the drawings, not on site
- Construction documents a general contractor can price with confidence
- Permit expediting through Portland handled in-house
02 — How it runs
From first meeting to final walkthrough.
- 01
Brief & orient
We learn how the space is used and read the site — sun, access, and the envelope you are starting from — before drawing a plan.
- 02
Plan & price
A space plan and outline specification with a construction-cost band, so the budget conversation happens before documents, not after.
- 03
Document & permit
Coordinated construction documents, code and accessibility resolved on paper, and the permit carried through review by us.
- 04
Deliver
Construction administration, submittal and RFI review, and a walkthrough before you open the doors.
04 — Questions
On master planning & urban design.
What is the sun study you run on every project?
We build a 3D model of your site and simulate the sun across it from winter to summer solstice. It tells us where glass is free daylight and where it is a cooling bill — before the plan is drawn. The study is included in every commission and in our fixed-fee feasibility package.
Can you work with my contractor?
Yes. We are happy to work with a builder you trust, and we can also recommend three contractors we have completed multiple projects with. Either way, we review submittals and visit site at every milestone — the drawings get built as drawn.
What does an architect cost in Portland?
For full service — design through construction observation — most residential commissions at GBD Architects total 8–12% of construction cost. We quote it as fixed fees per phase, agreed in writing before each phase begins, so the number you sign is the number you pay.
13 — Final section
Build for this sun, not against it.
Book a consultation at the Downtown Portland studio — or call and talk to an architect, not a receptionist.