# ZGF Architects > Official ZGF Architects business agent. ZGF Architects is a North American architecture and design firm specializing in sustainable, human-centered buildings… ## Ask it a question ZGF Architects answers for itself at https://api.hailera.com/mcp/zgf. A client that speaks MCP can connect to that address; the tool is ask_zgf and the protocol is 2026-07-28. Where this file and the agent disagree, the agent is current. ## About ZGF Architects Firm overview ZGF Architects (ZGF) is an architecture and design firm with origins in Oregon and more than 80 years of practice. The firm has grown from a single office with strong regional roots to seven offices across North America, including Denver, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver BC, and Washington, DC. ZGF's work reflects a holistic understanding of the relationship between buildings, people, and the environment. The practice focuses on creating places that connect communities, support human well-being, and respond to the unique attributes of climate and place. ZGF has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) with the Architecture Firm Award, honoring its high standards of design excellence and its ability to creatively transform client needs and aspirations into inventive architectural form. Design philosophy and approach - Human-centered design: ZGF prioritizes the experience of the people who use and move through its buildings and public spaces, seeking to create environments that are welcoming, functional, and inspiring. - Contextual response: Each project is shaped by its specific climate, site, and community context. Designs are tailored to local conditions and aim to strengthen a sense of place. - Community-building: ZGF focuses on making places where people come together for a common purpose, such as learning, healing, working, traveling, or gathering as a community. - Craft and beauty: Attention to craft, materiality, and the beauty of the built environment is central to ZGF's culture and is informed by the landscapes and traditions of the Pacific Northwest. - Long-term stewardship: Projects are conceived with an eye toward long-term performance, resilience, and future adaptability, asking whether each design helps leave communities better prepared for what the future may bring. Representative work ZGF's portfolio spans a wide range of building types and scales, from campus-scale plans to highly technical facilities and civic landmarks. Representative work highlighted on the firm's website includes: - The Portland International Airport (PDX) main terminal expansion, a major public infrastructure project that doubles the airport's capacity and is designed to evoke the experience of walking through a Pacific Northwest forest. - The Mercat del Peix Research Center, a net-positive, high-performance research facility focused on planetary welfare. - Long-standing work with institutions such as OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital, one of the most comprehensive medical centers for children in the United States. For more detail on current and past projects, see the Work and Ideas sections of zgf.com. Source: https://www.zgf.com ## What ZGF Architects does Sectors and project types ZGF Architects works across a broad range of building types, campuses, and infrastructure projects in North America and internationally. Examples highlighted on the firm's website include: Aviation and transportation - Major airport terminals and expansions, such as the Portland International Airport (PDX) main terminal expansion, which doubles the airport's capacity and creates a distinctive, regionally rooted passenger experience. - Planning and design work for airports and transportation hubs in complex operational environments. Science, research, and technology - Research centers such as the Mercat del Peix Research Center, focused on planetary welfare and collaboration. - Advanced testing and research facilities, including the CARB headquarters and vehicle emissions testing facility. - High-performance laboratories and other science and innovation spaces. Healthcare and life sciences - Children's hospitals and pediatric care environments, including long-term work with OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital. - New healthcare facilities such as the planned Ann and Robert Lurie Children's Hospital project and the University of New Mexico School of Medicine facility. Higher education and campuses - Comprehensive campus planning and infrastructure projects, including work with Princeton University to support long-term net-zero carbon goals. - Learning spaces, academic buildings, and student-focused facilities. Civic, cultural, and community places - Libraries, community venues, and performance spaces, including new performance venues and immersive cultural environments. - Projects that serve as civic landmarks while supporting community use and engagement. Workplace, mixed-use, and multifamily - Corporate headquarters and office environments, including high-performance workplaces for major technology companies. - Multifamily and mixed-use communities designed to support a wide range of lifestyles, with varied unit types, amenities, and shared spaces. Clients and collaborators ZGF's clients include public agencies, educational and research institutions, healthcare providers, cultural and nonprofit organizations, and private companies and developers. The firm often works as part of multidisciplinary teams that can include contractors, engineers, and specialty consultants. For information about whether ZGF's experience aligns with a specific project type, potential clients are encouraged to contact the firm directly. Source: https://www.zgf.com ## Where ZGF Architects works Office locations ZGF Architects maintains offices in multiple cities across North America. Contact details listed on the firm's website include: - Denver Suite 250 Denver, Colorado 80202 Phone: 303.557.6420 - Los Angeles 515 South Flower Street, Suite 3700 Los Angeles, California 90071 Phone: 213.617.1901 - New York 39 West 19th Street, 12th Floor New York, New York 10011 Phone: 212.624.4754 - Portland 1223 SW Washington Street, Suite 200 Portland, Oregon 97205 Phone: 503.224.3860 - Seattle 925 Fourth Avenue, Suite 2400 Seattle, Washington 98104 Phone: 206.623.9414 - Vancouver, BC 355 Burrard Street, Suite 350 Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 2G8, Canada Phone: 604.558.8390 - Washington, DC 600 14th Street NW, Suite 800 Washington, D.C. 20005 Phone: 202.380.3120 General contact channels According to zgf.com, the following email addresses are available for specific types of inquiries: - Business and general inquiries: info@zgf.com - Press and media inquiries: media@zgf.com - Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MWDBE) partnership inquiries: partnerships@zgf.com For new project discussions or to learn more about working with ZGF, potential clients can contact the nearest office by phone or use the general inquiries email address. Names South, West, and North as a service area. Areas beyond these are not published. Source: https://www.zgf.com ## Careers and opportunities at ZGF Careers at ZGF ZGF Architects describes its practice as driven by respect for people, place, and planet, and by open collaboration across disciplines. The firm emphasizes that great ideas and successful projects rely on contributions from many roles and perspectives, not just a single discipline. Offices listed with career opportunities include: - Denver - Los Angeles - New York - Portland - Seattle - Washington, DC Roles posted on zgf.com span a range of experience levels and specialties, such as: - Entry-level, mid-level, and senior architects and designers - Interior designers and interior technical designers - Urban designers and planners - Project managers and project architects - Specialists such as medical planners and landscape architects - Office and operations roles Early-career opportunities and scholarships ZGF supports the next generation of designers through early-career roles and a scholarship program highlighted on the firm's website. The ZGF scholarship is awarded annually to selected recipients and is intended to support emerging designers and students pursuing careers in architecture and related fields. How to find current opportunities Current job openings and internship opportunities are listed on the firm's careers page: - Careers page: https://www.zgf.com/careers/ Because openings and locations can change over time, anyone interested in working at ZGF should refer to the careers page for the most up-to-date listings and application instructions. Source: https://www.zgf.com ## Sustainability and climate leadership at ZGF Sustainability and regenerative design Sustainable and regenerative design is a core value of ZGF and has been part of the firm's approach since its inception. As stewards of the built environment, ZGF uses applied research and project experience to develop design solutions that address urgent climate challenges in complex building types, including: - Laboratories and research facilities - Hospitals and healthcare facilities - Learning spaces at colleges and universities - Corporate headquarters and workplaces - Civic and infrastructure projects The firm's work emphasizes: - Reducing operational and embodied carbon - Designing net-zero and net-positive buildings and campuses - Integrating high-performance envelopes and building systems - Planning for resilience and long-term adaptability Climate commitments and industry leadership ZGF participates in multiple industry and global climate initiatives. As described on its website, the firm is: - Committed to the 2030 Challenge. - The first architecture firm member of the First Movers Coalition. - A founding member of U.S. Green Building Council LEED v1.0, with critical participation in development of the LEED rating system. - A participant in the International Living Futures Institute Just 2.0 Label. - A signatory of Architects Declare, the AIA Materials Pledge, and the COP26 Communiqué. - The first architecture firm signatory on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Sector Climate Pledge. Example projects and climate-focused work Examples from ZGF's climate and innovation work include: - A net-positive research center with a high-performance mass timber building envelope and advanced mechanical systems to reduce both embodied and operational carbon. - A state facility for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) designed to be a large, true net-zero energy research and testing facility, meeting LEED Platinum® and CalGreen Tier 2 standards. - Campus-scale infrastructure work with Princeton University to support the university's goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by its 300th anniversary, including a new thermally integrated geo-exchange resource building (TIGER). - Use of a proprietary carbon life-cycle assessment (LCA) tool to help reduce embodied carbon, including a 20% reduction in the embodied carbon of concrete mixes on Amazon's new headquarters at Metropolitan Park in Arlington, Virginia. Equity and community ZGF links sustainability with equity and community outcomes. Through design, the firm aims to: - Engage diverse voices and partnerships. - Support diverse and equitable communities. - Create places that foster connection, learning, wellness, and inclusion. For additional detail, see the About and Ideas sections on zgf.com that describe ZGF's climate, innovation, and equity work. Source: https://www.zgf.com ## What ZGF Architects has not published yet These are things people ask ZGF Architects that its published information does not yet cover. - prices or fee estimates - project availability or capacity - guaranteed project timelines or completion dates - guaranteed performance or outcomes of designs - legal or contractual terms - employment offers, compensation, or benefits details - regulatory or tax compliance guarantees Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess. ## Where this comes from https://www.zgf.com