SAJ Architecture

03/16/2026

At SĀJ Architecture, we’ve developed several custom tools for stakeholder engagement, including our Patent Pending Modular Planning Kit. SĀJ Principal Architect Jonah Jensen created the clickable kit to help clients understand spatial relationships and explore design options in group settings. We use it for interior space planning on a variety of project types and can further customize it for clients with specific operational needs. This tangible, hands-on kit is an effective communication tool and adds a little play to the design experience.

Last week we broke out the kit while designing our own new office space, which will accommodate our growing SĀJ Portland team. The process allowed for quick and collaborative design — with a little fun built in (even if we look serious in the photo!).

03/13/2026

We have added a few new faces over the past two months and need to catch up on making introductions!

First up is Nathanael Werner, AIA, NCARB, who recently joined us as a Project Architect in our Bend office. Nathanael has nearly 20 years of experience working on public and private projects, and his portfolio includes K-12, industrial, residential, commercial, and hospitality projects.

Nathanael's reputation in the community as a collaborative and capable architect proceeded him, and we are happy he decided to join us at SĀJ Architecture! He was more than game to participate in our mock-project-style interview, during which seasoned Project Architect Casey Campbell put in an Oscar-worthy performance as "First-Year Intern Who Has a Lot of Questions." We all agreed that Nathanael's willingness to laugh along with us was a very good sign.

Nathanael is currently integrating into our commercial and multifamily residential project teams. And, with his K-12 experience, we suspect there's some more school work in his near future, too.

Please join us in welcoming Nathanael!

03/09/2026

Redmond High School's modernization is making progress! Here, you see SĀJ Architecture's Amy McCarthy Smith during a recent page-turn meeting with the client and design team as the project hit another schedule milestone on our way toward permitting.

Redmond High School's modernization is an extremely complex, technical project, requiring a sophisticated level of coordination. Having an owners' rep like HMK Company — which prioritizes communication and responsiveness — has been key to the project's success.

Redmond School District | The District and its consultants have now completed the 50% Construction Documents (CD) page-turn, marking an important step forward from the previously reviewed 100% Design Development (DD) set. Since the DD milestone, the team has advanced the drawings with increased technical detail and coordination across disciplines, translating the approved design direction into more fully developed construction-ready documents.

Building on the foundation established during design, the latest drawing set reflects refined building systems, more detailed specifications, updated layouts where needed, and strengthened alignment between architectural, structural, and MEP components. This phase also provided another opportunity to confirm District standards, incorporate end-user feedback, and resolve coordination items before progressing.

With continued collaboration and careful review, the Project Team is excited to keep the Redmond High School moderniztion project moving ahead with clarity, accuracy, and strong teamwork.

SAJ Architecture
Morrison-Maierle
Pence Contractors

03/06/2026

Yesterday, our Morrow County School District engagement team presented our pre-design DAC experience to the rest of our firm. Running these facilitation sessions for MCSD was such a great experience, we wish everyone in the firm could have participated. And, honestly, we’re a little sad that pre-design has come to a close.

Now, the trail splits and schematic design for Irrigon Jr/Sr High School moves forward. The design team will take the insights and feedback gathered during these initial DAC meetings and get to work bringing the vision created during pre-design into a built reality for the community.

Thank you to Wenaha Group for being supportive partners, and thank you to the district and DAC members for heading up this adventure!

01/26/2026

In this video, student members of the Morrow County School District Design Advisory Committee share why they wanted to be part of the process of designing their new schools.

During our engagement and planning activities, the students have offered valuable perspec-tives that have directly influenced our design work. For example, they've shared how students move through their current schools and have given suggestions about how the new and updated buildings can improve the learning experience.

01/26/2026

Our students are helping shape the future of our schools. In this video, Design
Advisory Committee members share why they chose to get involved and why student voices matter.

01/21/2026

It’s a little like a game of “Who’s On First?” around here now that we have two Amy’s … and two Emily’s!

“Wait, Emily? Emily who?”

Please join us in welcoming Emily Freed to SĀJ Architecture as a project manager!

Emily is no stranger to many of us at SĀJ who have worked with her in the past — some going back nearly 20 years. Her experience includes guiding housing, mixed-use, medical, and public projects from predesign through construction. She especially enjoys working with local nonprofits to create spaces that support their missions.

At SĀJ, Emily is managing the delivery of multifamily projects in Washington and Idaho. She is also part of our public projects team.

And, yes, the two Emily's do sit right next to each other. And they've both agreed to forward any emails meant for the other Emily.

01/19/2026

Morrow County School District has selected Fowler General Construction of Richland, Washington, to build the new replacement Irrigon Jr./Sr. High School and make districtwide security upgrades. We look forward to working with Fowler!

SĀJ Architecture has dedicated four unique design teams to Morrow County School District: One each for Irrigon Jr/Sr High School, Riverside Jr/Sr High School, Heppner Jr/Sr High School, and the districtwide security upgrades. We’ve enjoyed working together internally to develop meaningful engagement activities for all three schools. As we design the schools concurrently, we’re finding our internal cross-calibration is making each project even better. And we hope the Design Advisory Committee (DAC) members are having as much fun as we are!

Pictured: SĀJ Project Manager Amy McCarthy Smith, AIA, leads two Heppner students through a design exercise to reimagine their school during a DAC meeting.

Morrow County School Board, Irrigon Jr/Sr High School, Fowler General Contractors, SĀJ Architecture, Morrow County School District

01/17/2026

Our Redmond High School project reached an exciting milestone this week! We joined our partners at HMK Company to present the first set of visualizations for the school's modernization and addition to teachers and staff. Spaces throughout the school — from CTE classrooms to the student commons — are starting to take shape!

01/09/2026

Jasper is an eighth-grade student at Heppner Jr/Sr High School and part of the Morrow County School District Design Advisory Committee (DAC). We’ve been so impressed by the students and the thoughtful insights they’ve contributed about their schools and how they’d like their learning environments to look and function in the future. It’s also exciting that Jasper and the other students will get to attend the schools they’re helping create.

12/09/2025

Redmond School District | The District recently completed a 100% Design Development page-turn with its design team and consultants, ensuring that District standards and end-user needs are fully integrated. This collaboration provides a valuable opportunity to streamline details, strengthen alignment, and confirm that the design direction is accurate. The Project Team is excited to keep the Redmond High School bond projects moving forward with accuracy, transparency, and teamwork.

Morrison-Maierle
Pence Contractors
SAJ Architecture