What Woofter Bolch Architecture does

Woofter Bolch Architecture is a privately held architecture firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The firm operates as a collaborative design practice led by founding principals Miles Woofter and Jonathan Bolch, with Associate Principal Willis DeWitt and a small technical staff of approximately six people total. Its work spans higher education, civic, commercial, and residential sectors, with a documented emphasis on sustainable design across LEED, Earth Advantage, Net Zero, and Passive House frameworks. The firm anchors its practice in a proprietary "Design Thinking Framework" derived from Charles Owen's methodology, positioning the team as a human-centered, iterative design studio rather than a technology-forward platform.

The firm's project portfolio is heavily concentrated in the Pacific Northwest, with commissions for Oregon State University, Portland State University, the University of Oregon, the University of Portland, Portland Community College, Lane Community College, Central Oregon Community College, and AAA Oregon/Idaho. Notable commissions include OSU's Gilbert Hall addition and renovation, OSU's Dixon Recreation Center additions, the PSU Stott Center renovation, multiple AAA Oregon/Idaho branch offices across Oregon, Idaho, and Hawaii, and a flagship international commission — the Mokara Gymnastics Academy in Singapore. The firm has also entered design competitions expanding geographically into Salt Lake City and Cleveland, Ohio, signaling selective exploration of new markets.

The business model is traditional professional-services fee-for-service architecture, with revenue generated from fixed fees, hourly billing, and percentage-of-construction-cost contracts typical of the U.S. AEC industry. The firm has no disclosed funding, no parent company, and no public revenue or headcount growth signals. Operating economics are driven by utilization of a small senior staff, repeat institutional clients, and embedded partnerships with larger firms (YGH Architecture, Perkins & Will, JSA/MIXdesign, Fortis Construction) that enable the firm to participate in large institutional commissions disproportionate to its headcount. Reputational credibility is supported by a string of recognition awards, including the American Architecture Award (2020), AIA Portland Design Citation (2018), DJC 1st Place Education Renovation (2019), and the SLC Empowered Living Design Grand Award (2021).

Name

Woofter Bolch Architecture

Legal name

Woofter Bolch Architecture

Website

https://woofterbolch.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Woofter Bolch Architecture is a privately held Portland, Oregon architecture firm founded in 2012 that provides sustainable design across higher education, civic, commercial, and residential sectors, serving institutional clients in the Pacific Northwest and select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Sustainable building design
• Higher education facilities
• Civic building architecture
• Residential architecture design

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full architectural services including initial programming, conceptual design, documentation, and project delivery. Revenue generated through professional service fees for institutional, commercial, and residential projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Woofter Bolch Architecture is a collaborative architectural design practice based in Portland, Oregon, providing full-service architecture including programming, conceptual design, documentation, and construction administration. The firm delivers sustainable, environmentally sound design across residential, commercial, civic, and higher education projects, with particular depth in LEED AP and Earth Advantage Gold certified work and an iterative, team-based open studio process.

Product overview

Woofter Bolch Architecture is a collaborative design practice offering architectural services across multiple project types. The firm's portfolio includes residential projects (single-family homes like the Skinny House, ArHo House, and NP House; multi-unit housing such as the H|M Townhouses and NK Fourplex; and ADU prototypes including the birch ADU and Backyard Foursquare ADU); commercial projects for AAA Oregon/Idaho (Service Center remodels, Fleet facilities); civic projects (library renovations, community centers, senior center improvements); and education projects for universities and community colleges (recreation centers, academic buildings, library renovations). The firm also conducts research and design studies such as Portland Alley Housing exploring urban density opportunities. Projects range from small-scale residential renovations to large institutional facilities exceeding 200,000 sf.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Higher Education Architectural Design Full architectural design services for universities and colleges, including recreation centers, academic buildings, libraries, and student services facilities for clients such as Portland State University, Oregon State University, University of Oregon, University of Portland, and Central Oregon Community College.
• Community College Facility Design Architectural services for community colleges including workforce training centers, trades facilities, health sciences buildings, and student services renovations for institutions such as Portland Community College and Lane Community College.
• Civic and Government Building Design Architectural services for municipalities and public organizations, covering libraries, community halls, senior centers, and feasibility studies for clients such as City of North Plains, City of Hillsboro, Wilsonville, and Corvallis-Benton County.
• Commercial and Corporate Office Design Architectural services for commercial and corporate clients including service center remodels, headquarters renovations, and office buildouts for clients such as AAA Oregon/Idaho, Fortis Construction, and Alliant Systems.
• Residential Architectural Design Residential architecture services covering single-family renovations and additions, new single-family homes, accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and multi-unit infill housing for private homeowners and small developers in the Portland region.
• Sustainable and Green Building Design Consulting Architecture services grounded in environmentally sound design principles, including LEED AP credentialed work, Earth Advantage Gold certification targeting, and sustainable ADU prototypes such as the award-winning birch ADU.

Quantifiable outcome

• Award-winning projects including American Architecture Award for PSU Viking Pavilion
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• KPFF StructuralcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStructural engineering collaborator on AAA Oregon/Idaho Service Center Remodel project in Boise, ID. Provided structural engineering services for 14,270 sf renovation.
• Shapiro/Didway Landscape ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture partner on AAA projects including Boise Service Center and Beaverton office renovations.
• Nossa Norman Design StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design collaborator on Fortis Construction HQ Renovation and University of Portland projects. Partnership includes material palette development and interior design services.
• Carolyn Woofter Interior DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design partner on AAA Beaverton and Black Butte House projects, providing interior design services complementary to architectural work.
• Catena Consulting EngineerscoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering consultant on OSU Gymnastics Practice Facility providing structural and civil engineering services for 20,600 sf renovation.
• PAE EngineerscoreTechnology or IntegrationMEP engineering partner on OSU Gymnastics Practice Facility project.
• Luma Lighting DesigncoreTechnology or IntegrationLighting design consultant on OSU Gymnastics Practice Facility and Fortis Construction Portland Headquarters projects.
• Perkins & Will (formerly Sink Combs Dethlefs)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrime architect partner on PSU Stott Center Renovation + Viking Pavilion project. 87,200 sf renovation and 55,000 sf expansion. Award-winning project.
• YGH ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner on multiple projects including PSU Academic & Student Recreation Center, COCC Health Careers Center, COCC Middleton Science Center, UO Allen Hall, and OSU-Cascades Academic Building 2 competition entry.
• GlumaccoreTechnology or IntegrationEngineering consultant on Corvallis-Benton County Library Addition project.
• MackenziecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner on City of North Plains Jessie Mays Community Hall feasibility study.
• JSA/MIXdesignflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture/design partner on PCC Sylvania HT Building West Side Renovation - 77,655 sf health and wellness hub project.
• PLACEcoreTechnology or IntegrationLandscape architecture partner on PCC Sylvania HT Building project.
• Acoustic Design StudiocoreTechnology or IntegrationAcoustic consulting on Fortis Construction Portland Headquarters 15,937 sf renovation in historic Water Tower Building.
• Ushijima ArchitectsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitect of Record on University of Hawaii at Manoa Recreation Center - 60,000 sf project. Woofter team members worked on project while at YGH.
• SKL ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign firm partner on Lewis & Clark Law School Boley Law Library renovation - 4,400 sf project.
• Fortis ConstructioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner on multiple projects including PCC Sylvania HT Building (Design-Build), PCC Sylvania Automotive & Metals Building, and Fortis Construction Portland HQ projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hacker Architects: Portland-based architecture firm known for civic, educational, and residential work in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable in client mix and design philosophy, and competes for similar civic and institutional projects.
• Mackenzie: Portland-headquartered architecture, engineering, and planning firm of comparable regional scope. Partnered with Woofter Bolch on civic/community projects and competes for the same Pacific Northwest institutional and civic commissions.
• SRG Partnership: Portland architecture firm with comparable size and an emphasis on civic, educational, and community-based projects in the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable boutique peer competing for similar institutional and civic clients.
• LRS Architects: Portland-based architecture firm with strong higher-education and civic portfolio in the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable in scale and target client base, competing for the same institutional commissions as Woofter Bolch.
• Scott Edwards Architecture: Portland architecture firm with similar size, sustainable-design orientation, and higher-education/civic client focus. Directly comparable boutique Pacific Northwest practice competing for similar institutional commissions.
• YGH Architecture: Portland-based architecture firm and former employer of both Woofter Bolch principals. Directly comparable as a Pacific Northwest architecture practice with shared higher-education and civic project focus, and a current JV partner on multiple institutional projects.
• LEVER Architecture: Portland architecture firm with a strong sustainability and mass-timber focus. Highly comparable to Woofter Bolch's sustainable-design positioning and Pacific Northwest institutional client base, and competes for similar civic and educational commissions.

Broad incumbents

• ZGF Architects: Large, established Pacific Northwest-headquartered architecture firm with deep higher-education, healthcare, and civic portfolios. Competes for many of the same institutional clients as Woofter Bolch but operates at significantly larger scale and geographic footprint.
• Ankrom Moisan Architecture: Portland-based architecture and design firm (now part of DLR Group) with strong housing, education, and mixed-use portfolios. Competes for similar Pacific Northwest residential and institutional commissions at a larger scale.
• Perkins & Will: Global architecture firm and JV partner with Woofter Bolch on the award-winning PSU Stott Center + Viking Pavilion. Operates at much larger scale across higher education, healthcare, and civic sectors globally, overlapping in Pacific Northwest institutional work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woofter-bolch-architecture

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Woofter Bolch Architecture