Built on the belief that
place shapes people
StoneArch Studio was founded in Portland in 2014 by Maya Okafor and David Chen — two architects who left large firms with a simple premise: smaller studios produce better work. A decade later, we've completed over 80 projects across Oregon and Washington, and we still take on fewer than twelve projects per year.
Every project is led by a principal. Every client has a direct line to the person making design decisions. That's not a policy — it's how we were built.
Design Philosophy
Material Honesty
We don't hide structure behind drywall when it can be expressed. Concrete reads as concrete. Steel reads as steel. Materials are chosen for their long-term performance and their ability to age gracefully in the Pacific Northwest climate.
Site-Specific Design
Every project begins with a site visit, not a mood board. We study solar angles, prevailing wind, view corridors, and neighborhood context before we draw a single line. No two StoneArch projects look the same — because no two sites are the same.
Fewer, Better Projects
We cap our active project load at twelve engagements. This isn't a marketing claim — it's an operational constraint we enforce. It means every client gets a principal's full attention, not a junior designer's first draft.
Sustainability as Structure
Passive solar orientation, thermal mass, and building envelope performance are design decisions, not add-ons. We integrate sustainability into structural and spatial logic from day one — which is also how you avoid expensive retrofits later.
Our Team
Maya Okafor
Principal Architect, Co-Founder
M.Arch, University of Oregon · AIA · LEED AP BD+C
Maya leads residential design and sustainable systems. Before founding StoneArch, she spent six years at Olson Kundig in Seattle. Her work has been published in Dwell, Architectural Record, and the AIA Journal.
David Chen
Principal Architect, Co-Founder
M.Arch, SCI-Arc · AIA · Passive House Consultant (PHC)
David oversees commercial projects and structural design integration. His background includes three years in Tokyo with Kengo Kuma & Associates, which informs his material-forward approach and attention to threshold and transition.
Sofia Vasquez
Senior Interior Designer
BFA Interior Architecture, RISD · NCIDQ Certified
Sofia leads interior design projects from space planning through final install. She specializes in material sourcing from Pacific Northwest artisans and custom millwork design. Her kitchen and bath work has been featured in Sunset Magazine.
James Whitfield
Project Architect
B.Arch, Cal Poly SLO · Architectural Associate (AIA)
James manages construction documentation and contractor coordination across active projects. He joined StoneArch after four years at SERA Architects in Portland, where he developed expertise in wood-frame and mass timber construction.
Ananya Krishnan
Design Associate
M.Arch, University of Washington · LEED Green Associate
Ananya contributes to concept design, visualization, and sustainable design research. She brings expertise in computational design tools and energy modeling software, and is currently pursuing her Passive House certification.
Notable Clients
Verdant Capital Group
Commercial Office, Seattle
Saltwater Wellness
Spa & Hospitality, Victoria BC
Pioneer Square Merchants Assoc.
Retail Fit-Out, Seattle
Hood River Vineyard & Inn
Hospitality Renovation, Hood River
Cascade Medical Center
Administrative Offices, Bend
Oregon Timber Frame
Showroom Design, Eugene
"We hike the sites we design on. We visit the quarries our stone comes from. We believe understanding materials at their source produces better architecture."
— Maya Okafor, Principal
80+
Completed Projects
12
Max Active Projects / Year
2014
Founded in Portland
Ready to join our client list? We'd love to hear about your project.
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