LEVER Architecture

Architectural Record invited leading architects and educators from across the United States to nominate what they consider the most significant works of American architecture for “For the Semiquincentennial, Practitioners and Scholars Survey 250 Years of American Architecture,” a feature marking the country’s 250th anniversary.

Thomas Robinson, FAIA, Founder and Principal of LEVER, selected Schindler Chase House (1922) in West Hollywood, California, designed by Rudolph M. Schindler. Robinson notes that the house broke with convention through its flat roof, exposed concrete and wood, and open plan that merged interior and exterior spaces. He describes it as a work inspired by California’s landscape that has influenced multiple generations of architects and represents a synthesis of cultures, landscapes, and ways of living that deserves recognition as part of the nation’s shared history.

To read all contributors’ selections and explore the featured works, please visit:

For the Semiquincentennial, Practitioners and Scholars Survey 250 Years of American Architecture From California bungalows to New York skyscrapers, what makes an architecture American, let alone the most significant example of such?

Based in Portland, Oregon, Thesis is a digital creative agency that values collaboration and embraces a culture of hybrid work. LEVER’s design for the new headquarters centers on comfortable “mid-door” spaces that bring nature indoors, creating a home-like office setting while supporting collaboration and community.

Located in Portland’s Slabtown neighborhood where Forest Park meets the city grid, the new headquarters offers connections on all levels to both city and nature. The All-hands space is located directly off the street for internal and community events, while the community kitchen opens to a deck to create a “mid-door” space.

The headquarters uses a custom mass timber structure with cross-laminated timber panels, glulam columns, and beams prefabricated at Timberlab near the site. The LEED Gold design prioritizes energy use reduction through abundant daylight, efficient systems, and on-site solar panels.

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

Photo credits: © Lara Swimmer / Esto
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Designed by LEVER for an active couple in their 70s, Alberta Arts House is a small single-story home designed for aging in place comfortably. Flexible spaces, abundant natural light, and a low-maintenance material palette make the house comfortable to live in through all of life’s stages.

The house combines a contemporary form with grounded materials that blend among neighboring Craftsman-style homes. A street-facing front porch, covered garden terrace, and a front office and bathroom that can accommodate an in-home caregiver support both everyday living and future needs. The home is also super-insulated with European triple-glazed windows and a heat recovery ventilation system, supporting environmentally responsible design.

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

Photo credit: © Lara Swimmer / Esto
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LEVER is honored to be included among the firms featured in Out There: New Architecture Across America. The book, by Robert Ivy, Cathleen McGuigan, and Peter MacKeith, with a foreword by Marlon Blackwell, examines contemporary architectural practice across regional cities and towns throughout the United States.

Published by Merrell Publishers, the volume presents the work of 50 architecture firms through a selection of 170 projects. Through essays, photography, and drawings, it explores each firm’s design philosophy and selected work, documenting approaches shaped by local culture, geography, and community needs.

Project: Meyer Memorial Trust
Photo credits: © Jeremy Bittermann / JBSA
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