We make buildings that work as hard as we do. Buildings that are honest, wise, and give out more than they consume. We make thoughtfully and artfully crafted buildings that are quiet, majestic solutions to real human problems, not the source of new ones.
At GBD, we focus all of our talent and experience and ingenuity and sweat on solving problems and creating better places for humans to be… more human. It requires a deep and thorough understanding of the people who will live, work and play there. Whether that space is a residence, corporate headquarters, university, hospital or commercial building.
Creating beautiful spaces for people means connecting them to light and air and materials made of wood, earth and stone. It assumes a respect for the beauty of the natural environment. The perfect building, in GBD terms, is one that produces more energy than it consumes, and consumes more waste than it produces. GBD was an early adopter of green building rating systems such as LEED, and continues to be one of the nation’s leaders in sustainable planning, design and development.
Established in 1969 in Portland, Oregon, GBD’s mission remains: to have a better understanding of our clients’ business objectives, so we meet and exceed those objectives; to work harder to consider how each space or building will be used and enjoyed, so they’re actually used and enjoyed; and to always be aware that a legacy is inevitable. That every decision and interaction will have an impact: the kinds of buildings we build, how we build them, and the way we interact with each other, our clients and the community. Many of our early GBD clients continue to be some of the firm’s most active clients today, as they themselves have prospered and expanded.
The GBD culture is warm, open, collegial, highly professional and yet uncharacteristically down to earth. There is a strong work ethic. There is an obvious passion and love for what we do, a deep belief in how we’re doing it, and a respect for who we’re doing it with. The “it” is building beautiful, responsible spaces that move and elevate people. Because, in the final analysis, these are not “GBD buildings.” These are human buildings.
