What Communitecture does

Communitecture is a privately held, Portland, Oregon-based architecture, planning, and design firm founded in 1998 that operates with a 1-10 person team on a trust-based cooperative model under principal Mark Lakeman. The firm delivers full-service architecture from conceptual design through construction administration, with specialized practices in permaculture-informed design, natural building techniques (straw bale, earthship, cob), and community-led participatory processes that embed residents in design and decision-making. Core offerings span architecture services, planning and masterplanning (including ecovillages and agrihoods such as Bells Mountain), permaculture design, multifamily/cohousing, ADUs/accessory buildings, public placemaking, straw bale/natural building, social justice housing initiatives, and residential projects.

The business model is professional-services/project-based, monetized through quoted architecture and planning fees with no publicly disclosed pricing and no marketing budget; acquisition runs on community word-of-mouth and Lakeman's national speaking circuit (Living Future Conference, Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge, National CDC, Community Built Association, Habitat International, Harvard GSD, TEDx). Customer segments are horizontal and include community non-profits (The ReBuilding Center, Portland VOZ, Capaces Leadership Institute/PCUN, Sisters of the Road, Street Roots, Our Table Cooperative), one enterprise agricultural client (Soter Vineyards), government (City of Vallejo / Mare Island), and individual residential clients across Oregon, Washington, California, Hawaii, Vancouver Island, and Baja California.

The firm is co-located at its SE Division Street headquarters with The City Repair Project, Rhythm Seed Farm, and resumehorse, reflecting deep integration into Portland's placemaking ecosystem. Credentials include LEED AP BD+C accreditation (Vale Larson-Brasted) and Living Building Challenge targets on Bells Mountain, supported by an award stack (National AIA Honor Award 2017, Curry Stone Design Prize 2017, Venice Biennale 2012, National Lewis Mumford Award 2003, NEA Community Development Support Award 2002, National Jolley Award 2022). No external equity, debt, or venture funding is indicated; ownership rests with Lakeman under a collaborative decision-making structure.

Name

Communitecture

Legal name

Communitecture

Website

https://communitecture.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Communitecture is a Portland, Oregon-based architecture, planning, and permaculture design firm (founded 1998, 1-10 employees) serving non-profits, communities, government, and residential clients with ecologically and socially focused building and placemaking projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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. Architecture and Design Services: Full-service architecture, planning, and permaculture design for commercial, institutional, and residential projects, typically leading projects from conceptual design stage through construction. Provides services including site analysis, master planning, building design, construction administration, and ecological/sustainable design.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Communitecture is a full-service architecture, planning, and permaculture design firm that delivers integrated design services from conceptual design through construction administration for commercial, institutional, residential, and public space projects. Its work is grounded in permaculture principles, natural and recycled building materials (straw bale, earthships, cob), and community-led participatory design processes that involve end users directly in design and decision-making.

Product overview

Communitecture is a full-service architecture, planning, and permaculture design firm offering integrated services for commercial, institutional, and residential projects. The firm provides architecture services, planning services, and permaculture design as its core offerings, supported by community involvement processes and special gathering place design services. Projects span multiple categories including commercial/institutional buildings, multifamily/cohousing communities, ADUs/accessory buildings, public spaces, village masterplanning, natural building techniques, social justice initiatives, and residential projects. The Permaculture service encompasses urban installations, transformative villages, educational villages, homesteads, and regenerative farms. The firm typically leads projects from conceptual design through construction administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-service architectural design for commercial, institutional, and residential projects, leading projects from conceptual design through construction administration.
• Planning Services Site analysis, master planning, vision planning, feasibility studies, land use reviews, code/zoning reviews, and change of occupancy permits.
• Permaculture Design Ecological and sustainable design services incorporating permaculture principles for residential and commercial projects, including urban permaculture installations, transformative villages, educational villages, intentional homesteads, and generative farms.
• Community Involvement Processes Public processes to involve communities in design and decision-making for place-making projects and individual buildings, including public presentations and educational workshops.
• Commercial and Cultural Projects Commercial and cultural building projects including retail spaces, offices, and cultural facilities (e.g., ReBuilding Center, Portland VOZ, Capaces Leadership Institute, Audubon Marmot Lodge).
• Education and Institutional Projects Educational and institutional facilities including schools, learning centers, and community institutions (e.g., New Day School, Harmony Montessori, Swallowtail School, Pacific University Early Learning Center, Redwood College).
• Multifamily and Cohousing Projects Multi-family housing and cohousing community designs ranging from 4 to 16+ living units (e.g., Cully Green Cohousing, Cully Grove, Woolsey Corner, White Salmon Cohousing, Pardee Commons, Sabin Green, Norma Infill Cohousing).
• ADU and Accessory Building Projects Accessory dwelling units and accessory buildings including micro-villages and natural building projects (e.g., Going Street Micro-Village, Phillips Straw Bale ADU, Clements ADU, Barta Urban Earthship).
• Public Space Projects Public place-making projects including parks, plazas, and community gathering spaces (e.g., Couch Park Time Sculpture, A Park for the Tsimshian Tribe, Latourette Park, Hazel Dell Commons Eco Park).
• Village and Masterplanning Projects Village-scale masterplanning including ecovillages, agrihoods, and regional resilience projects (e.g., Bells Mountain Agrihoods, Mare Island Regional Resilience Resource, OUR EcoVillage, Breitenbush Hot Springs Residential Village, Bay City Masterplan).
• Straw Bale and Natural Building Projects Natural building techniques including straw bale construction, earthships, and cob structures (e.g., Errol Heights Strawbale Home, Foster-Platt Straw Bale, Phillips Straw Bale ADU, Barta Urban Earthship).
• Social Justice Projects Projects focused on social justice including houseless villages, veteran's villages, and community empowerment initiatives (e.g., Dignity Village, Veterans Village, Street Roots Office, Kenton Women's Village, Sisters of the Road, R2DToo).
• Residential Projects Single-family residential design including home additions, remodels, and new construction (e.g., Tabor Home Addition & Remodel, Hamilton Home Remodel, Granger Low Energy Home, Sherwood Farm Home).
• Special Gathering Place Design Design services for special gathering places including tea houses, community centers, and event spaces (e.g., Potato Palace, Mandal Temple, Vedanta Society, Yoga Union, Cascadia Taphouse).
• Climate Resilience Design Services Climate resilience design for sea-level rise and climate adaptation including compartmentalized perimeter levees, seawalls, marsh augmentation, wave attenuation, and habitat systems, demonstrated through the Mare Island Regional Resilience Resource master plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ new community-generated public places created in Portland
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• P+SET (Resilient by Design Team)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2017Communitecture was chosen to join one of 10 teams in the Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge in August 2017. The P+SET combined team included firms with strong Bay Area connections and commitment to community-led design. Of the 10 teams, Communitecture was one of only teams made up of mostly local firms and activists.
• BASE LandscapecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the P+SET team for the Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge working on Mare Island Regional Resilience Resource project.
• Ross MartincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the P+SET team for the Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge.
• Urban Permaculture Institute of San FranciscocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the P+SET team for the Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge bringing permaculture expertise to climate resilience design.
• The City Repair ProjectflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of citizen activists creating public gathering places and helping others creatively transform their neighborhoods. Communitecture co-founder Mark Lakeman initiated City Repair alongside communitecture. Ongoing collaboration on placemaking projects and Village Building Convergence events.
• Orange Splot LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing development company and general contractor with mission to pioneer new models of community-oriented, affordable, green housing developments in Portland. Collaborator Eli Spevak is a Loeb Fellow at Harvard and long-time collaborator.
• Rhythm Seed FarmminorOthersNon-profit dedicated to growing seeds and supporting local food resiliency. Shares office space with Communitecture at their SE Division Street location.
• resumehorseminorOthersResume writer and job search coach helping people find career transitions. Shares office space with Communitecture.
• The ReBuilding CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContributes to environmental sustainability by diverting waste for reuse. Communitecture sources recycled materials from this center for projects and has designed their facility.
• Sisters of the Road CafécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit supporting community-driven solutions to homelessness and poverty since 1979. Communitecture designed their facility and ongoing community supporter.
• Pistils NurseryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortland nursery offering homegrown goods and services supporting local economy. Communitecture has completed projects for Pistils Nursery.
• Portland VOZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorker-led organization empowering diverse day laborers and immigrants to improve working conditions and protect civil rights. Communitecture designed their facility.
• Street RootsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreates income opportunities for people experiencing homelessness and poverty by producing newspaper and media. Communitecture designed their office space.
• Tivnu: Building JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHebrew word meaning right-action of a constructive kind. Works to involve and activate teens from across the country in service-learning projects. Communitecture partners with Tivnu annually on construction projects including little libraries.
• Witch Hazel Designs and EducationminorOthersPermaculture and holistic landscape designs and education. Listed as a friend/organization in Communitecture's network.
• Earth Dragon Natural BuildingminorOthersPortland-based natural building company focused on infusing urban fabric with natural materials and empowering people. Listed as friend/organization.
• Born and Raised ConstructionminorOthersPortland-based construction company dedicated to increasing livability through building and remodeling homes. Listed as friend/organization.
• Placecraft Design & BuildminorOthersCrafting healthy homes and nature places. Listed as friend/organization in Communitecture's network.
• Renovation InnovationsminorOthersSince 1994, providing high-quality work, punctual delivery and precise budgeting for Portland remodeling projects. Listed as friend/organization.
• Naturally SukitaminorOthersNatural building firm specializing in installation of earthen floors. Listed as friend/organization.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• David Baker Architects: San Francisco architecture firm dedicated to affordable housing, community-centered design, and urban infill — directly comparable to Communitecture's social-justice, cohousing, and affordable housing project focus.
• Mithun: Integrated design firm focused on sustainable architecture, planning, and interior design across commercial, residential, and civic projects — overlapping Communitecture's integrated architecture, planning, and permaculture design offerings.
• Olson Kundig: Pacific Northwest architecture studio known for craft-driven, contextually responsive residential and commercial design — a relevant regional peer sharing geography, scale-band, and design-led orientation.
• Lake|Flato Architects: Regional architecture firm recognized for sustainable, place-based design with strong regional identity and craft focus — directly comparable to Communitecture's regionally-rooted, sustainability-led design ethos.
• Marlon Blackwell Architects: Practice known for rigorous, contextually-driven architecture across rural, civic, and residential scales — comparable to Communitecture's emphasis on regional sensitivity, ecological integration, and design quality.
• MASS Design Group: Architecture and design practice explicitly purpose-built to use design as a driver of social and environmental impact — directly comparable to Communitecture's mission-driven, community-centered practice and social-justice project portfolio.
• Hacker Architects: Long-established Portland architecture firm working across residential, multifamily, and institutional projects — comparable regional peer operating in the same PNW design market with similar customer segments.
• Interface Studio Architects: Architecture practice built around activism, public interest, and equitable design — overlapping Communitecture's commitment to community-led participatory design and social-justice project portfolio.
• BNIM: National integrated design firm known for high-performance sustainable architecture with strong social mission emphasis; comparable to Communitecture's blend of sustainability, community engagement, and design excellence.

Broad incumbents

• Perkins&Will: Global architecture practice with established sustainability, wellness, and civic design practices — operates in the same design categories as Communitecture but at broader portfolio and scale, providing a reference point for how the niche offering scales.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/communitecture
• Xx.com/communitecture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communitecture-inc.-architecture---planning

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Communitecture