STU · 06
Mixed-Use Development Designin Portland, OR
Expert mixed-use development design in Portland. Licensed, insured, upfront pricing.
The most valuable drawing we make is sometimes the one that tells you not to buy. Before you commit to a lot or a project, a feasibility study gives you the three things a listing never will: what the sun does to the site, what the zoning and setbacks actually allow, and what it will honestly cost to build there. It is the cheapest hour in the whole process, and it has talked more than one client out of an expensive mistake.
01 — What the commission covers
Inside mixed-use development design
- A 3D site model with a full solstice-to-solstice sun study
- A zoning, setback, and overlay read for what the lot allows
- A massing test showing what will genuinely fit and function
- An honest, early construction-cost band for the project you have in mind
- A permit-and-review outlook, including HOA or historic hurdles
- A written summary you can take to a lender or a decision
02 — How it runs
From first meeting to final walkthrough.
- 01
Gather the facts
We pull the zoning, survey, and site data and build a model of the lot as it really is — slope, orientation, and all.
- 02
Run the sun & the rules
The sun study and a zoning read together tell you what is possible and what the site will fight you on.
- 03
Test a massing
A quick massing study shows whether your program fits, with an early cost band attached.
- 04
Report plainly
A written feasibility summary — credited in full against design fees if you decide to proceed with the studio.
04 — Questions
On mixed-use development 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.
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.
What happens at the first consultation?
One hour at the studio, no fee and no obligation. Bring photos of the site or house, your rough budget, and your list of rooms. You leave with an honest read on feasibility, a budget band, and a written fixed-fee proposal within the week.
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.