Twenty years ago I took a risk, and created Peter Meijer Architect. I had no idea where the leap into owning a business would take me.
The beginnings were much like all start-up creative endeavors: A single person firm occupying a basement office where the conference room was the dining table.

There were a lot of individuals and businesses that provided support. None more so then the first phone call asking, “What took me so long to start a firm?” And did I want help out on a historic property. PMA’s very first project was with the University of Washington, Architectural Hall.

Since then, PMA has come a long way and great individuals have contributed to our success. Most important are the contributions of the next leaders, especially those who have worked at PMA for more than 10 years. We have stayed true to our beginnings and continue to focus 100% on existing structures. Our skills have grown from providing the scientific understanding of preserving archaic building materials, to providing Prime architectural services for multi-million dollar renovations and restoration.
The projects have grown in both size and complexity. It is nice to see the growth from one individual to our current staff of architects, designers, and preservation planners. The office has moved out of the basement, down the street, up two floors, and finally purchased our own home complete with a side yard outdoor space in Southeast Portland in 2020.

With our start in Washington, the territory of the firm remains rooted in the Pacific Northwest. We love it here. Over the years we’ve had the pleasure of drifting off to North Dakota, Idaho, St. Louis, and a few other places where work has taken the firm. We like coming home to Portland.
Many of our original clients remain our clients – like the University of Washington. The Association for Preservation Technology annual conference held in October 2023 in Seattle featured a tour of historic buildings on the University of Washington’s campus. PMA’s contribution to that restoration includes seven structures. We count exceptional architectural firms as our partners to our success story. Those firms value both our expertise and knowledge of older properties and, more importantly, our skill as architects.

We are thankful for the confidence in PMA that all our friends, peers, colleagues, and clients have provided over the years. Our involvement on their projects have led to preservation awards, advocacy awards, technical paper awards, leadership commendation, and individual achievements.
In 20 years we have forged a strong understanding of who we are and what we have created. Our Core Values of Integrity / Leadership / Balance / Stewardship are reflected within the people at PMA, our commitment to our clients, and PMA’s acknowledgement of all that has influenced and created our first 20 years.
We are looking forward to the next great 20 years.

Blog post written by PMA Founder and principal, Peter Meijer.