LEVER Architecture

At LEVER, wooden models are created to better understand the spatial relationships, scale, and materiality within a design. These models provide a tangible representation, allowing architects and clients to visualize the project in three dimensions. Wooden models offer a tactile quality that communicates the nuances of texture, structure, and form, enhancing the design process.

Additionally, they serve as practical tools for testing ideas and refining design elements before construction begins, providing a physical reference that aids in decision-making throughout the project's development.

For more information about LEVER's projects, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects

LEVER is honored to be included among Architizer’s 100 Best Architecture and Design Firms in the United States. The annual recognition highlights architecture and design firms from across the country whose work reflects a wide range of approaches to architecture, art, science, and technology.

With offices in Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles, California, LEVER is recognized for design excellence across buildings and spaces for mission-driven organizations and creative companies. The firm's work includes material innovation and pioneering applications of cross-laminated timber.

Congratulations to all of the firms included in this year's recognition for their contributions to architecture and design across the country.

For more information about Architizer’s 100 Best Architecture and Design Firms in the United States, please visit: https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/collections/best-architecture-firms-in-united-states/

Photo credit: © Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA
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Albina Library has returned to its historic home in Northeast Portland through the restoration of the 1912 Carnegie library and a major addition that doubles the facility’s size. Designed by LEVER in collaboration with Multnomah County Library and Noll & Tam Architects, the project preserves the Carnegie-era building through historic preservation and seismic upgrades while expanding the library with new public spaces.

The addition features a brick exterior that reflects the surrounding historic district, with angles and a palette influenced by the original terracotta tile roof. It connects directly to the restored library and includes an adult reading room, a ground-floor community room that opens to the courtyard, small group study rooms, open book stacks, elevators, and an open staircase connecting the two levels.

The project was shaped through a responsive design process guided by community input. More than 75 meetings and events, including public events, focus groups, interviews with community leaders, and a youth design cohort, informed the design and the development of the library’s teen spaces.

For more information about this project, please visit: https://leverarchitecture.com/projects/albina_library

Photo credits: © Lara Swimmer / Esto
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