This Q&A is part of a series of interviews with Portman Architects’ architects, designers, and others within the design collaborative about their career journey and the impact that design and architecture can have on our communities to engage and inspire. Here we sit down with Azha Parker, Designer. Tell us about your experience winning the Portman Prize at Kennesaw State University?...

As companies look to maintain and build community, there is a clear desire for a new way of thinking regarding office design. The radical post-pandemic and generational shifts in where and how we interact prove that knowledge work is not directly correlated to physical proximity – influencing the typologies of workspaces we design. For an industry highly collaborative and...

As market conditions present new challenges, design evolves and reassesses site relationships with built form, social fabric, transportation, and economic viability. Many of the projects we see today address four roles for urban building typologies impacting different scales of communities and connectivity. Regions 615; 2018 1. Transit-Oriented Development for Civic & Regional Impact Today, how we perceive travel presents...

This Q&A is part of a series of interviews with Portman Architects’ architects, designers, and others within the design collaborative about their career journey and the impact that design and architecture can have on our communities to engage and inspire. Here we sit down with Irene Sourbeer, Senior Associate and Senior Project Manager. You are finishing up the Hyatt...

Banner Image Credit: Danny Forster & Architecture Authored by Elias Darham, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Architect II Architecture must be a vanguard for creative technology - leveraging ingenuity in the pursuit of quality and efficiency. Technology in architecture primarily appears on two fronts: how we visualize our stories and how we shape and imbue those narratives into the built...

This Q&A is part of a series of interviews with Portman Architects, architects, designers, and others in the design collaborative about their career journey and the impact that design and architecture can have on our communities and engage and inspire. Here, we sit down with Jose Pajares, Architect I. When did you decide you wanted to be an architect designer?...

This Q&A is part of a series of interviews with designers, architects, and others within our design collaborative about their career journey and the impact that design and architecture can have in engaging and inspiring our communities. Here, we sit down with Project Architect David Bond. What was your first introduction to the field of architecture and design? My first...

Dated office building stock is ready for transformation. Urban centers are densifying, and resources are receding – effectively pivoting attention to adaptive reuse. Historical office buildings converted into apartments have demonstrated a way to extend the life of buildings. It is beneficial for the city, for the culture, for the environment, and for the building itself. It’s important to...

After a year of social distancing, there is much discussion on the do’s and don’ts for design in development and as authorities are lifting restrictions and hospitality businesses are reopening they open to a different world with different demands and desired experiences, focusing largely on a holistic approach to integrating the hospitality experience back into our lives. David work experience...

Mr. Portman was a renowned international architect and a sculptor, painter, and furniture designer. His artwork can be spotted at the focal point of many of Portman’s built projects. They are the “eyes” of a dragon.I was fortunate to work closely with him on many sculptures. The below are the stories behind those collaborations. Near the end of designing Zhejiang...

Portman’s built projects worldwide are like collection of art because of their meticulous design process and the fact that they were not massively populated everywhere. This goes back to our Founder, Mr. Portman’s cautious approach to select projects he agreed to work on in the past. Only when he perceived a genuine appreciation for art and architecture, and a...

An urban mixed-use complex is essentially a city in miniature scale – Part II Wenzhou Zhidi Plaza | Tian Xi – A Private Top Luxury Sky Residence The project consists of Westin Hotel-(honored as the best hotel in Wenzhou), office, retail and top luxury residence. Our design goal was to create a new gathering venue for local citizens to...

By 2030, Atlanta’s metropolitan population is projected to grow from 5.9 million people to a whopping 7.5 million. To put that in perspective, the Greater Atlanta Area will have to accommodate the added equivalent population of Jacksonville, Florida. Amazingly, this upcoming decade will see Atlanta’s population grow more rapidly than it did during the previous two decades, with an average...

An urban mixed-use complex is essentially a city in miniature scale.Its concentrated characteristics offer a platform for each component of the project to share the resources. Creating an iconic people space is always the goal of Portman during the design of the urban mixed-use complex.We conducted the study from many perspectives to observe the active interaction among the projects, users,...

Typeface and graphic designer Ave Mateiu once said, “Constraints drive innovation and force focus. Instead of trying to remove them, use them to your advantage.” In architecture, we are all too familiar with design and construction constraints, such as site context and accessibility, planning & building code regulations, climate conditions, project budgets, and available supplies of labor, materials, and...

It’s the third week in the office without our fearless leader Jack, and he is truly missed by all. Walking by his office, we find ourselves expecting to see Jack there on the phone, working with clients, getting our next job—leading us forward. And yet, even though he’s not there physically, he remains present in our hearts and minds, continuing...

As anti-density sentiment grows, designers and developers look ahead to determine the future patterns of city design post-COVID-19. COVID-19 is proving to have a serious impact on the building industry and its future.With the exponential rise of COVID-19 cases appearing in the most densely populated cities, many within the industry are questioning the future of cities and whether density...

This two-project master-plan of the area in San Diego, California, known as “Lane Field,” is a study in the extension of the public realm, the creation of strong urban edges, the development of a new public waterfront park, and the creation of 800 new short stay and extend stay hotel rooms under three flags. Clad in a combination of floor-to...

Crisis precipitates change. This truth rings as a stoic reminder that our current vulnerability in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic is an opportunity for growth. At the time of this post’s publication, Portman Architect employees have been out of the physical office and working remotely for 127 days. As the case numbers start to rise again, it is...

As a few months have gone by since Grace’s passing – all of us here at John Portman & Associates – we wanted to share our memories of her and how each day, we do our best to continue to put our best foot forward for this company that she loved so much.For Grace… “Grace was the embodiment of leadership. Firm...

Our interaction with urban form and architecture did not begin at a desk in college or in a page of a magazine. We have been surrounded by it all our lives: your childhood neighborhood, your street, the park you frequent. Sometimes it goes unnoticed and becomes mundane, but nonetheless, it affects our movement through and perception of space. As I...

Building Codes — so boring. Right? They don’t have to be. Hopefully this information will help. And when you understand these issues, your boss will be impressed, and your client will thank you.One of the first steps to achieving a successful project is understanding the constraints. Zoning and building codes are an easy place to start. This post provides...

Ready? I had been ready since 2005. But like most people, reality and life hit hard. The “three” years of IDP turned into eight, and the advice I was given to “finish before you start a family” went in one ear and out the other. For most of us, studying and testing is a distant image in our rear view mirror....