Boutique Design at Its Best
Because we keep our studio intentionally small, your project receives our full attention. We work closely with you from the very first conversation through construction, staying involved in both the design ideas and the technical details. No hand-offs, no cookie-cutter solutions, just thoughtful design shaped around real people and real places.
We see architecture as a true collaboration. We ask you a lot of questions, exhaust every design option, and keep refining until it feels right. We’re not chasing a signature style; we’re focused on creating homes that feel personal, grounded, and quietly special.
Mary Seed
Meet Your Team
Co-Founder - Principal - Architect
Mary brings clarity and a steady hand to complex residential projects. She’s known for listening closely, asking questions that get to what matters, and translating that into cohesive designs.
She’s an expert problem solver with a passion for technology and efficiency, which makes her especially strong at turning complex projects into clear, workable plans. Mary helps clients make confident choices around layout, materials, and the small details that improve daily function, from kitchens to whole-home remodels.
Throughout her work, clients have trusted Mary for her direct communication and high integrity from start to finish. Her favorite kind of challenge is the one that requires both precision and speed, which might explain how she once finished the New York Times Mini Crossword in thirteen seconds.
Mary lives in Portland with her husband and daughter and is a registered architect in the state of Oregon.
Justin Smith
Co-Founder - Principal
Justin designs with a builder’s eye and a maker’s restraint. He’s spent more than twenty years working closely with materials and details in residential design and furniture-making, and his approach to projects is clear, practical, and built for the long haul.
He’s exceptionally good at making older houses work for modern living, appreciating where craftsmanship and the quirks of the original build are part of what makes the space special. In new construction, his strength is designing custom homes that feel grounded in their setting, shaped by the land and the way people live. His work spans the mountains of New England and Montana, the high desert of Central Oregon, and the lakeside in Northern Washington.
Whether projects are in the Portland metro area or out in nature, his design approach stays consistent: protect what’s worth keeping, improve what needs to work better, and make the finished home feel settled and natural.