Best of 2018

It was an incredible year for us, thanks to the best clients and partners we could ever hope for. As we wrap up deadlines and accounting for 2018, here are a few things that we loved this year, in no sensible order:

We were so excited to receive a DJC Building Diversity award and be the cover shot for the Women of Vision Magazine. If we look a bit flushed in the shot, it’s because it was taken on one of those high-90s afternoons. Still, we were so pleased to represent!

We are fans of the new Appendix N clarifying distinction between Fire Code and what city plans reviewers can enforce. This came out in November 2017, but we got into the details this year and we like the crisp lines created by this appendix. (If you don’t love code as much as we do, we won’t judge you. Just call us if you need help unraveling the details.)

Camo sweaters, tights, and purses. We love them. But we can’t buy any more. We now have so many of each that we must text each other before meetings to make sure we don’t show up in matching camo, like we are on some weird cashmere-clad hunting trip.

Variable refrigerant systems. We’ve been designing and commissioning these for different clients. Moving less air, keeping duct sizes small, and preserving the ceiling space for whatever the architect envisions is pretty darn satisfying.

Wonder Woman stamps. These were first issued in 2016, but they became our official postage in 2018. If you’ve received any checks or love notes from us, you’ll see that they have Wonder Woman stuck to them rocking wrist cuffs. We wear wrist cuffs, too, but ours aren’t bulletproof.

This year, we loved being successful enough to give back to the community. We gave Oregon Tradeswomen a set of welding leathers, hood, and gloves that new welding program graduates can use until they can afford their own. Also, we donated to Call to Safety, a deserving Portland group that helps survivors of trauma and abuse. Our donations are a drop in the bucket compared to the numbers of people each organization serves, but it makes us feel good to be a part of the solution.  

Thank you to our partners and clients for making all of this possible, even the camo sweaters.