We’re a local firm in the downtown district of St. Johns in North Portland. We are integrated and highly involved in the support and development of our community and neighborhood. In fact, seven out of ten of our employees live here in St. Johns! Our firm is comprised of three principals, two project managers, four architectural designers and an administrative assistant. We believe strongly in maintaining a healthy live/ work balance and keeping our dollars local by hiring and shopping within our neighborhood.
The Backstory:
In 2009, former co-workers and long time friends, Joe Purkey and Eli Elder, founded Convergence Architecture. They were soon certified as an Emerging Small Business and on their way. In March 2014, Barb Anderson joined the firm as a majority owner and with that, we added Women-Owned Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise certifications. In late 2014, David Islas joined Convergence as a recent architectural graduate from Portland State University. By October 2015, Monica Ahlers brought her nine years of experience and strong 3D computer modeling skills to our office.
Continued Growth:
With this strong team of five in place, organic growth followed. Christa Holden joined the firm as a designer in August 2016. Having previously worked with us on a contract basis for over a year, she was already very familiar with our team and work. In November 2016, Allen Kabanuk was hired on as a architect and project manager, bringing along his 18 years of experience- including retail, commercial, institutional and industrial projects. In early 2017 we rounded out our team… Adam Robins joined in January 2017, offering his experience in contract administration, project management, design, and forensic architecture. Maria Rojas and Crystal Glanz-Kreutz were brought on in March 2017, as an administrative assistant and a designer, respectively.
Then and Now:
From the early idea of a new architecture firm, concocted by Joe and Eli over many meetings at Grand Central Bakery back in 2009, to the full team of ten here in 2017, the goal has always been to converge- to meet, connect and collaborate. Whether we are meeting with stakeholders to assist our neighborhood school with the project management of their playground upgrade, connecting with local residents to complete their dream home projects, or collaborating with other firms to team up on large scale public projects; we are Convergence Architecture. We hope to build our relationships even further by beginning to connect with each of you through this blog.
