Risa Boyer Architecture

Risa Boyer Architecture Modern Portland Architect

Site visit day!🌲 The Midvale House is taking form, with its natural wood, textures, and organic colors to blend into the...
05/28/2026

Site visit day!🌲 The Midvale House is taking form, with its natural wood, textures, and organic colors to blend into the PNW landscape. It’s all coming together beautifully in this mid-century modern renovation.

Grateful for our collaboration with . Stay tuned for finished photos soon!

Image 1: Dining room into kitchen, Akoya pendant
Image 2: Bathroom sconces, Concrete Cutie
Image 3: Kitchen Island, Arundel Mushroom Pendant
Image 4: Powder Room, features Makoto 2” Round Matte Porcelain Mosaic Tile in Umi Terracotta by , Castle Muse Pendant
Image 5: Featuring
Image 6: Entry

05/20/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate 20 years of Risa Boyer Architecture!

We’re so grateful for the clients, collaborators, friends, and community who have supported us along the way. It was a wonderful evening celebrating the relationships and projects that have shaped our studio over the past two decades. Here’s to the next chapter! 🥂

Team inspo with a visit to Christiane Millinger, a local handmade rug shop.There’s something special about collaborating...
05/14/2026

Team inspo with a visit to Christiane Millinger, a local handmade rug shop.
There’s something special about collaborating with local makers and shops who care deeply about craftsmanship, materials, and community.

From custom furnishings and lighting to locally sourced finishes and art, these partnerships bring an added layer of authenticity and personality to every project. We love working alongside fellow creatives who help make each home feel connected to place.

Roof is off and construction is ON at an adaptive reuse project in SW Portland!Adaptive reuse is where sustainability me...
04/27/2026

Roof is off and construction is ON at an adaptive reuse project in SW Portland!

Adaptive reuse is where sustainability meets imagination for Firsthand Framebuilding’s headquarters. By reworking existing structures, we preserve character, reduce waste, and minimize the carbon impact of new construction—while giving old spaces new life and purpose.

Because sometimes the most sustainable building is the one that already exists.

Client: .bike
Collaboration:

Happy Earth Day! Today is a reminder that sustainable architecture is no longer a niche approach.Pioneering work is happ...
04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day! Today is a reminder that sustainable architecture is no longer a niche approach.

Pioneering work is happening everywhere: from architects advancing mass timber systems, to designers rethinking buildings through adaptive reuse, to scientists developing new low-carbon materials that challenge conventional construction methods altogether.

Architecture sits in the middle of this conversation, where material innovation, design intelligence, and environmental responsibility meet. Each project presents an opportunity to build more lightly, more thoughtfully, and with greater awareness of what it costs the earth to construct what we imagine.

Let’s celebrate how far our field has come—and how much further we can go!

Photo: Our beautiful earth! Photo courtesy of NASA. Image created by Reto Stöckli, Nazmi El Saleous, and Marit Jentoft-Nilsen, NASA GSFC

Fun morning for our studio ✨ Risa, along with fellow AIA Oregon committee member Jericho Bankston, stopped by KGW’s Hell...
04/17/2026

Fun morning for our studio ✨ Risa, along with fellow AIA Oregon committee member Jericho Bankston, stopped by KGW’s Hello Rose City to talk about the upcoming AIA Oregon Portland Homes Tour and why opening the doors to thoughtfully designed homes matters for our community.

Beyond showcasing a curated selection of architect-designed residences, the tour is also a celebration of Portland’s homegrown architects and design talent that highlights the depth of creativity rooted in our local community.

We’re proud to be part of a city that continues to support design, creativity, and local architecture.

Join us on the tour and step inside some of Portland’s most inspiring homes. Link to tickets in our bio or at www.aiaoregon.org/events!

Today we celebrate Elissa Aalto as part of our Women in Architecture series.Often recognized alongside Alvar Aalto, Elis...
04/08/2026

Today we celebrate Elissa Aalto as part of our Women in Architecture series.

Often recognized alongside Alvar Aalto, Elissa was an accomplished architect in her own right—joining the Aalto office in 1949 and later leading the firm after his death, ensuring the completion and continuity of some of its most significant works.

Her influence lives in the details: interiors, furniture, and a quiet refinement that shaped the Aalto legacy.

Experience the Aaltos’ work firsthand at Mount Angel Abbey Library in Oregon…one of the few Aalto buildings in the U.S. Completed in 1970, it remains a masterclass in light, material, and human-centered design.

Image 1: Elissa Aalto viewing architectural drawings. Photo: Stig Bergström. Courtesy of © Alvar Aalto Foundation.

Image 2: Elissa’s and Alvar’s experimental house. She was the project architect on the Säynätsalo Town Hall project- that is when they fell in love and started on their summer house near by. Photo by Risa Boyer.

A look back at our award-winning   project.Glen Road’s transformation, recognized with two 2024 Gray awards for its kitc...
03/30/2026

A look back at our award-winning project.

Glen Road’s transformation, recognized with two 2024 Gray awards for its kitchen, demonstrates that mid-century homes are not relics to be frozen in time. They’re living spaces that, when thoughtfully renovated, can accommodate modern lifestyles while retaining their original character.

We believe this kind of work becomes a quiet act of stewardship, protecting our region’s design heritage for generations to come.

What Glen Road Teaches Us
1. Honor the Framework: Retaining the structural logic, proportions, and material language of mid-century homes allows updates to feel authentic—not imposed.

2. Integrate, Don’t Imitate: Modern interventions like energy-efficient windows or heat pump technology can and should be incorporated subtly.

3. Expand With Care: When additional space is needed, consider detached structures that preserves the clarity of the original home.

4. Work with Experts: Collaborations like Glen Road with & Hand, Gardens, and Engineering ensure the design vision is preserved from concept to ex*****on.

Click the link in bio to learn more about our approach to thoughtfully renovating Mid-Century Modern Homes for modern living

2026 Timeless Kitchen Design Tip 3: Use materials to create warmthAcross both renovations and new homes, material choice...
03/25/2026

2026 Timeless Kitchen Design Tip 3: Use materials to create warmth

Across both renovations and new homes, material choices do the heavy lifting: wood grain, subtle texture, and tonal restraint.

Instead of layering finishes, let fewer materials appear consistently and deliberately. Timeless kitchens rely on restraint, not trends.

1 - , mid-century modern renovation
2 - , modern custom home
3 - , mid-century modern renovation

We’re excited to be part of this year’s Block Party Design Event + Fundraiser hosted by  and ! Join us this Thursday at ...
03/18/2026

We’re excited to be part of this year’s Block Party Design Event + Fundraiser hosted by and !

Join us this Thursday at DWR in the Pearl to explore the projects and place a bid. Every piece has a story, and every bid makes an impact. All proceeds go to The Children’s Healing Art Project!

Sneak peek at our project up for auction: The Forest Glow Lamp celebrates our dense Northwest forests and the interplay of light, material, and landscape. Through careful collaboration with , Forest Glow is a small architectural study in weight and warmth, shadow and illumination, nature and craft.

Block Party Design Event and Fundraiser
Thursday, March 19, 5-8pm
We hope to see you there!

We’re excited to be part of this year’s Block Party Design Event + Fundraiser hosted by  and ! Join us this Thursday at ...
03/18/2026

We’re excited to be part of this year’s Block Party Design Event + Fundraiser hosted by and !

Join us this Thursday at DWR in the Pearl to explore the projects and place a bid. Every piece has a story, and every bid makes an impact. All proceeds go to The Children’s Healing Art Project!

Sneak peek at our project up for auction: The Forest Glow Lamp celebrates our dense Northwest forests and the interplay of light, material, and landscape. Through careful collaboration with , Forest Glow is a small architectural study in weight and warmth, shadow and illumination, nature and craft.

Block Party Design Event and Fundraiser
Thursday, March 19, 5-8pm
We hope to see you there!

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Portland, OR
97214

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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