Departure l Architecture

Dan helped us on 2 separate designs. One a small home and the 2nd an ADU-sized dwelling for our son. He is one of the most creative architects we've ever worked with, he has a very unique vision on putting thoughts into building design. We had challenges along the way with zoning sizes and costs and Dan didn't skip a beat making the adjustments we needed to make. He is just great to work with! bbarkes

Our journey with Oregon City Architect, Dan Lajoie, began when we selected him for the planning and design of our NE Oregon replacement home. The process began with a lengthy site visit and a thorough discussion about our objectives. The existing 1940s vintage house to be replaced was situated on difficult, uneven topography and too close to the Columbia River by current set back standards. It would be necessary for Dan to work with the county planning department to gain approval for the design. Dan’s preliminary design was driven by the grandfathered area within the footprint of the original house. It would feature the living room and a portion of the formal dining area which lead to the other spaces to be located behind the required set back areas. Dan worked with our ideas transforming them into reality creating the house that we wanted. What really brought it together was his incredible talent for design, ability to successfully address problems and his giant vision. The result was an enormously pleasing and comfortable home, which meets our criteria and beautifully compliments the site & surroundings. Particularly notable is Dan’s technical command over his design software. He masterfully had us standing inside his virtual 3D design while he effortlessly spun the room around to show various perspectives refining it before our very eyes. It was amazing! And when the home was completed it was remarkable how familiar it all seemed having made so many virtual visits via the 3D design. Among the many other remarkable qualities about Dan are his unwavering enthusiasm, devotion and utter passion for the project. They never faded! Throughout the three year process via numerous site visits, zoom conferences, phone calls & texts he has been with us every step of the way. We consider ourselves fortunate to have had Dan at the helm. It is our pleasure to recommend him for any challenging residential project requiring strong creativity, problem solving abilities and technical design expertise. If you are considering Dan for your design you should hire him.

We started working with Dan Lajoie long distance before moving from New Jersey to Oregon in December 2020. Our home was built in the late 70’s and although the basic house was very nice, it needed updating and we wanted some additions so that suited our lifestyle. We meet with Dan via Zoom to begin the process. He asked us what our wish list was for our home and set out to make that happen. We haven’t lived in the PNW before, so having Dan provide insights and explanations about what would and wouldn’t work was helpful. Dan helped us connect with our general contractor and together they made several trips to evaluate our home. He provided a compartmentalized list of everything on our wish list. Once we found out what things would cost, we were able to prioritize the list knowing there were plans we could use in the future should we choose to. I think what we appreciate the most is Dan’s desire to make this home our own. He has offered many ideas we have embraced whole heartedly. There were some ideas we didn’t care for and Dan listened and redirected his attention to offer alternative solutions. We appreciate having a relationship where we are able to speak openly and give and get feedback so we are all on the same page. Dan has been supportive, understanding and fun to work with. We are very excited about the plans we have in place and look forward to seeing the final product in the months to come. Rick & Nancy Miller

Dan was a great partner through a renovation of our 1940’s ranch that included a gut kitchen remodel, all new windows, addition of a walk-in closet and removal and moving of structural walls. He also spent considerable time helping us prioritize our broader vision/goals into what was feasible within this remodeling phase with our budget in mind. We are very grateful to have worked with him and would gladly hire his services again. He wisely keeps a long-term mindset and his two goals are that, when the project is over, his clients are 1) entirely satisfied with the result and 2) don't think there are any "could have been" ideas. Which means the planning process can be exhaustive (we went through dozens of variations of plans), but he is so pleasant to work with that it was never exhausting. We collaborated well with the big ideas; and then he brought a lot of the little details that really helped improve the quality of life (widening an entryway here by a few inches, adding another door there, etc.). He doesn't estimate materials/work budget, so it's essential to work with the contractor to keep ideas scoped properly; but he's the first to tell you that. We're very satisfied with the end result and thankful for being able to work with Dan.

Dan designed our 800 sq. ft ADU so that it would fit within and respect the landscape, and be light-filled. It accomplished all that and more - it is a stunning home that feels spacious, and though there are lots of windows, it feels private. His integrity and thoughtfulness helped to navigate construction delays (none caused by him). He was by our side until completion and we would hire him again for any project requiring an architect. Nan and Paul

We were remodeling a vintage cabin in Welches, Oregon that is located on a challenging site near a river. This involved special permits, etc. As we are snowbirds, much of the work was done while we were gone. We needed an innovative architect but also someone who was savvy with sustainable construction and project management skills. Dan was highly rated and our interview with him seemed to confirm that he was creative, relatable and knowledgeable. All of those qualities have been borne out in our construction experience. Not only did he listen carefully and create a design that reflected our unique needs, he also provided expertise about the latest building strategies that were valuable to us and to our general contractor. Part of the package that Dan provided was onsite project oversight. This was invaluable to us as we were physically removed from the work site. If you hire Dan, you will find someone who is at the top of his game aesthetically. But even more importantly, you will benefit from his easy rapport, constant communication and follow through and suggestions. He made what could have been a complicated process a true delight. We would give him our highest recommendation!

I can't say enough about Departure Architecture and Dan. Dan helped us build a beautiful home from start to finish. Dan invests a lot of time to really understand his clients needs and desires and then comes to the table with ideas to share and build upon. Dan really took the time to understand our family needs and helped us produce an ideal home. I would highly recommend Dan to anyone who is looking for professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with architect that always puts your needs in front of his.

My wife and I recently hired Dan to oversee a house remodel--adding a separate addition to a rustic cabin near Mt. Hood. This project was a bit complicated as the ultimate design had to meet numerous code requirements (due to its location near a river), and it also had to link a new, modern wing with an existing historical cabin. Dan has been invaluable throughout the entire process: initial design concept; working to secure permits; assistance with interviewing contractors; guiding decisions for energy efficiency, responding to suggested design tweaks and interior finishes advice. His responsiveness, attention to detail , follow-through and extensive architectural knowledge have been on display throughout the process. Our new home is slated to be finished later this summer, and we could not be happier!

Daniel is a wonderful architect and designer. I am working on a few integrated design projects with him and it has been fun working with him. He isn't just creative and innovative, but he also relational and gets to know our clients on a personal level. He is a great listener and has fabulous ideas. I highly recommend Daniel!

We were looking for an architect to design our new tiny (250 sf) and energy efficient backyard ADU. Our backyard is small and we wanted to locate the new adu so that it faced a small dogwood tree in the corner of the backyard. This also provided us with the needed privacy between the new adu and our home. Daniel Lajoie with Departure Architecture was great to work with. The design that we came up together located a small sleeping loft above the living spaces. Most of the windows face the dogwood and along with the overall volume created in the space, our little adu feels so much larger than it actually is. Daniel also showed us how we could design and build an extremely energy efficient adu with our given budget and helped us to hire the right contractor. For others considering projects, we would highly recommend working with Departure Architecture.

Here is all you need to know: Dan is the best architect you could dream of or be blessed with. Boom. No more needs to be said -- --but I will anyway -- He is just amazing. We had a HUGE job -- new construction and 3/4 of the house taken down to studs. We are out at the beginning of the Gorge and traveling here was not a big deal for him. That was so helpful and refreshing! Our project took a long time, and Dan was never-wavering and consistent in his constant shepherding. Above and beyond only begins to describe Dan. Dan takes the time to get to know you, how you live and what your space could look like for you. He is daring, but structurally diligent and sound. He is cutting edge on sustainability and eco-efficient houses. His designs have grace, beauty, simplicity, and strength. See his website, but trust me: Dan is the best advocate and dream-maker you could hope for if you are going to remodel. One of (the many) things I love about Dan is how he loves projects big and small. It is the people he bases his choices on for who he works for. If he likes you and what you are all about, he will take you on. Don't be put off with that -- it just means he will take your project PERSONALLY because he cares about YOU. (Renz, the Jack Terrior, will probably have to like you too. He goes everywhere with Dan.) And if you can "let go and let Dan," he will exceed all the smart ideas you thought you had for your space. I thought I knew all the solutions and neat things for our project. HA! Never in my wildest dreams could I have thought up what he did. Every day I walk around our house and think: I would have never thought of this or this is just so perfect. You are welcome to come see my house... but you should be forewarned: you will not want to go with anyone else once you see what he has done and once I get through smothering you with my accolades for him. One more thing: listen when he tells you who the good construction companies are in Portland.

Departure came out to our property after the 2013 Build-It-Green tour and talked to us about potential of building an ADU. A year later, we decided to move forward with building an ADU and again, contacted Dan Lajoie. He came out to our property with the notes and ideas discussed the previous year and was willing to spend a long time discussing our hopes for our ADU. He was able to take our ideas and create a beautiful space that works perfectly for us and our property. Throughout the beginning of the process Dan was available to answer our questions, he spent time sharing pictures and showing us ideas as well as meeting with us regularly to look at his progress. He always took our perspective into account and reworked some of the drafts to ensure we were getting what we wanted; but he also had fantastic ideas that we had not thought of and did a great job inserting his personal character into the project. Overall, we have been really impressed with Dan's patience and his ability to turn a small space into something so functional and beautiful.