Our work looks deeply into the relationship between material culture and society, experimenting through abstraction, creating a careful balance that avoids nostalgia for the vernacular or the sparsity of modernism. This process mixes and subdues influences to bring forth thoughtful and evocative solutions at every scale.

Based in Portland, Oregon, Observation Studio engages a legacy of craft borne out of the abundance of the Pacific Northwest to create timeless and sustainable places for contemporary culture. We pursue the highest and best use of local resources at every scale, from sites to buildings to materials. Our work is responsive and resourceful, striving to create dignified places of shared experience where the pragmatic and the poetic are critically important, each informing the other.

We collaborate with our clients, constituents, and craftspeople to create architecture that embodies their values and transcends expectations through close observation and engaging conversations. We work to become careful stewards of project resources and the natural resources each building requires, fostering healthy spaces for those who use and construct them. With a fluency that comes from a lifetime of working with our hands, we study the potential of materials and environments to develop resourceful, resilient, and economical solutions that are both timely and timeless.

Our built work—including structures, furniture, and installations—is informed by a process of seeing and making to produce an undeniable resonance that is implicit and explicit, equally felt and understood. Our work is varied but highly legible, directly responding to the unique challenges of the present day through maintaining an open minded and empathetic commitment to the culture and character of every place we work.

Christopher Brown

Founder/Principal

Raised in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Chris earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design and received international travel fellowships to study in Rome and Mexico City. Chris began his career in Southeast Asia ultimately working in several internationally recognized design practices, including Marlon Blackwell Architects and Allied Works Architecture. As a Project Architect, he led numerous award winning civic, institutional, and residential projects from concept design through construction including The National Veterans Memorial Museum in Columbus, Ohio, the US Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique, and The Corvallis Museum in Corvallis, Oregon.

As the founder of Observation Studio, he has received significant local, national, and international awards, including the esteemed Design Vanguard Award from Architectural Record in 2023 (as Linden, Brown Architecture), an International Architecture Award from the European Center for Art and Architecture and the Chicago Athenaeum for Sequitur Winery, and several honor awards from the Oregon AIA. The work of Observation Studio has been published extensively in architectural journals including Architectural Record, the Architects Newspaper, and Azure.

Chris regularly lectures, serves on design awards juries and is a member of the Professional Advisory Board at the University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design. As a teacher, Chris shares his extensive experience and sensitive design approach with students in graduate studios at the University of Oregon School of Architecture and Environment and as a visiting critic at numerous other schools. 

Education
University of Arkansas, Fay Jones School of Architecture Bachelor of Architecture, Magna Cum Laude

Professional Registration and Affiliation
Licensed Architect in Oregon, Washington
Adjunct Professor, University of Oregon School of Architecture and Environment
Member, AIA
Member, Professional Advisory Board, University of Arkansas Fay Jones School of Architecture
Member, National Council of Architectural Registration Boards

SENIOR ASSOCIATE

Since returning to Portland in 2019, Dillon Phillips has served as Project Architect for many of the studio’s key projects. As a Texas native and Allied Works alumnus, Dillon has a special interest in folk art, material innovation, and environmental stewardship.

He previously served as an agricultural volunteer with the Peace Corps in Madagascar and is presently on the Executive Board for the Ko-Falen Cultural Center in Portland.

Education:
Texas A&M University, Bachelor of Architecture
University of Houston, Master of Architecture

dillon@observationstudio.com

Dillon Phillips

STUDIO DIRECTOR

Kate joined Observation Studio in 2024, bringing with her a diverse background of operational, people, and client management practices. Her interest in economics, psychology, and beauty intersect to provide the studio with a foundation of stability and growth. 

She has worked previously in the Architecture, Property Management, and Education sectors and is presently serving on the Board of the Sunlight Community.

Education:
University of Arkansas, Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude

kate@observationstudio.com

Kate Brown

PROJECT ARCHITECT

Sae Jin brings a cross-cultural perspective to Observation Studio, shaped by years of living, traveling, and practicing in various countries. Her experience has deepened her interest in creating spaces through the integration of diverse design disciplines and engagement with artists and craft makers. She values a sensibility grounded in material expression, thoughtful detailing, and the quiet, humble beauty found in everyday moments.

She is a registered architect with the Nova Scotia Association of Architects, Canada. Her creative practice extends to textiles and film photography, and her next goal is to explore ceramics, inspired by her love for tea.

Education: 
Dalhousie University, Master of Architecture 
Handong Global University, Bachelor of Science

saejin@observationstudio.com

Sae Jin Lim

PROJECT DESIGNER

Hailing from Miami, Florida, Dairon is a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest, inspired by it’s legacy of craft and material culture. Drawing from his background as a Cuban American, he brings an expressive and disciplined ethic to his contributions to the design work at Observation Studio.

In addition to practice, Dairon has taught design theory courses, has been a guest critic and served on numerous design juries. His inspirations include furniture design, physical branding, writing and nature.

Education:
Florida International University, Master of Architecture

dairon@observationstudio.com

Dairon Riesgo

PROJECT DESIGNER

Originally from the foothills of Yosemite, Catherine is a recent graduate of the University of Texas Master of Architecture program and holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Oregon. Her background in anthropology and experience working in art spaces gives her a unique understanding of placemaking, and a deep interest in the way that people experience the built environment.

Forever fascinated with materiality, Catherine enjoys experimenting with textiles and foraging for interesting objects on her numerous hikes.

Education:
University of Oregon, Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology
University of Texas, Master of Architecture

catherine@observationstudio.com

Catherine Gallagher

Awards & Recognition

2025 Oregon AIA Citation Award—
Tonal House

2025 The Plan Awards Finalist for Commercial Hospitality—
Sequitur Winery

2025 International Architecture Award, European Centre for Art and Architecture and the Chicago Atheneum—
Sequitur Winery

2024 Interior Design Best of Year Award Finalist—
Sequitur Winery

2024 SARA National Design Award of Honor—
Sequitur Winery

2024 SARA National Design Award of Honor—
Tonal House

2024 Residential Design Magazine Award—
Tonal House

2024 Residential Design Magazine Award—
4015 Studio

2023 Fay Jones School of Architecture Alumni Honor Award—
Sequitur Winery

2023 AN Best Of Commercial Hospitality—
Sequitur Winery

2023 Oregon AIA Honor Award—
Sequitur Winery

2023 Architectural Record Design Vanguard Award Winner—
Linden, Brown Architecture Firm Award

2023 Residential Design Magazine Honor Award—
Gradient House and Studio

2022 Oregon AIA Honor Award—
Gradient House and Studio

2022 Fay Jones School of Architecture Alumni Honor Award—
Gradient House and Studio

Press & Lectures