Lucas Gray

I help architecture firms run better businesses, improve operations, and increase profits. This includes consulting on management, operations, software, finances, leadership, business development, marketing, and pricing strategies.

Education:

  • University of Oregon:
    M. Architecture | 2008

  • McGill University:
    B.Sc. Architecture | 2004

  • 2008 Glenn Murcutt Master Class

Experience

Trained in architecture, I have worked with clients around the world to create modern and sustainable spaces that are rooted in the specifics of place and the local culture.

I bring an international perspective to each project. I have lived and worked in Cities including Montreal, Bangkok, Shanghai, Eugene, Berlin, Portland, New York, Seattle, and Vancouver. Collaborating with diverse teams I’ve worked on community engagement and planning projects in rural japan to large scale developments in Russia and China as well as projects both small and large throughout the USA and Canada. Making an impact on an international scale and taking lessons learned from each place to make future projects better is what I’m passionate about.

Designing places for people, and integrating nature into the built environment defines my design values. I aim to distill design ideas into simple forms that respond to site and context - emphasising materiality, craft, and detail while blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior.

Beyond design work, I’ve advised architecture firms on the business side of practice. Focusing on financial best practices, pricing and proposal strategy, positioning, and firm management, I help firms streamline their business operations and focus on increasing efficiency and profitability. I have advised from across the US and Canada helping small firms grow and be more financially sustainable.

Volunteering + Teaching

I am passionate about shaping vibrant, sustainable communities and inspiring the next generation of architects and designers. Through my volunteer work with the Alberta Main Street Design Committee, the American Institute of Architects, and Architecture for Humanity, I’ve championed initiatives that create meaningful impact.

As the creator of the newsletter A Better Built Environment (subscribe today!), I share ideas and spark conversations that advance the A&E industry and how we design and build our cities and communities. I’ve also had the privilege of mentoring future architects as an adjunct professor at Portland State University and a guest design critic at the University of Oregon. Whether collaborating with students, peers, or professionals, I thrive on connecting people, sharing knowledge, and working together to build a better world.

Artwork

Along with residential design work I also pursue a range of art including drawing, installations, and photography.

My drawings explore light, depth, and geometric forms through abstract cross hatching layers. Each series of drawings differs in their focus - some being free form while others experiment with geometric shapes, color, or positive vs negative space. The individual drawings can stand alone or be displayed together, combining many smaller works to develop a larger composition.

For public art installation work, I explore ideas of public space and human interaction. Each project responds to the context, both physical and cultural, while aiming to provide new views and experiences to the environments in which I work. Whether it is framing unique views of landscapes or transforming cities to be more pedestrian friendly, my public art is decidedly human focused. Installations range from street seats (parklets) to sculptures and public art installations.

The world is wide and has so much to teach us. Photography provides an opportunity to focus on intimate details of each place. Tectonics, materiality, textures, and colors can vary from building to building within a city, or country to country. My photographs zoom in on the details, or are framed to abstract the environment and reveal patterns and textures of objects, buildings, and landscapes.

My artwork has been displayed from Berlin to Portland. A series of my drawings, titled “Lines,” is part of the permanent collection at Portland Community College. My installations have been featured at temporary festivals and as permanent public art. 

I currently split time between Vancouver, Bainbridge Island, Portland, and New York City. I also spend as much time in Japan as possible for work and pleasure.

Press

Awards

  • 40 Under 40: Portland Business Journal - 2018

  • Structure & Style Awards | 2019 Oregon Home | Best House under 3,000 SF

  • AIA SWO Parklet Design Competition | 2017

  • Emerging Professionals Exhibit | 2016 AIA National

  • Best of Houzz Customer Service | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2023, 2024

  • STITCH Design Competition | 2014 AIA Portland | Honorable Mention