# Northline Practice
> Small buildings, careful rooms

**Role:** Architecture And Interiors
**Email:** hello@northline.studio
**Website:** https://northline.layoutpages.com

## About
Northline is a small architecture and interiors studio led by Mira Chen and Tomas Ellery.We like modest scopes, durable materials, and buildings that make sense after the opening photos are done.

## Discovery Scope
This file summarizes published public content from this website. Private admin, billing, API, and protected workspace content is not included.

## Services
Focused ways to work together.

### Residential design
Cabins, additions, and small homes that prioritize material honesty and daily rituals.

### Retail interiors
Operationally durable rooms for cafes, shops, and hospitality teams.

### Feasibility studies
Early site, code, and budget reads before a project gets expensive.


## Portfolio
### [Fern Cabin](https://northline.layoutpages.com/portfolio/fern-cabin)
Category: Residential
A 740-square-foot cabin organized around wet coats, books, and one long table.

### [Third Street Market](https://northline.layoutpages.com/portfolio/third-street-market)
Category: Retail
A corner grocery reworked for faster service and warmer evening light.

### [Folded House](https://northline.layoutpages.com/portfolio/folded-house)
Category: Residential
An addition that turns an awkward roofline into a quiet reading loft.

### [Ledger Cafe](https://northline.layoutpages.com/portfolio/ledger-cafe)
Category: Hospitality
Counter, queue, and seating design for a high-volume neighborhood cafe.


## Practice Timeline
**2022-Present**
Founding Practice - Northline PracticeResidential additions, small retail interiors, and feasibility studies for clients who need careful early decisions before large capital commitments.

**2019-2022**
Project Architect - Alder WorkshopLed permitting, documentation, and construction administration for cabins, cafes, and adaptive reuse projects in Oregon and Washington.

**2016-2019**
Designer - Wren & MossWorked across schematic design, material research, and client presentation packages for interiors-heavy hospitality projects.


## Education
**Master of Architecture** — University of Washington (2016)
Studio work emphasized small buildings, urban infill, and durable construction details in wet climates.

**BA, Environmental Design** — University of British Columbia (2012)
Foundation in building systems, environmental planning, drawing, and site analysis.


## Writing
### [Why we model the boring parts](https://northline.layoutpages.com/blog/why-we-model-the-boring-parts) (2026-05-11) [practice, operations]
Storage, trash, thresholds, and deliveries decide whether a beautiful room actually works.

### [Notes from a rainy site visit](https://northline.layoutpages.com/blog/notes-from-a-rainy-site-visit) (2026-05-07) [site, field-notes]
Weather is an honest consultant if you show up before the drawings are precious.

### [Materials that age in public](https://northline.layoutpages.com/blog/materials-that-age-in-public) (2026-05-03) [materials, interiors]
How we choose surfaces for cafes and retail spaces that will get touched all day.


## Contact
- Email: hello@northline.studio
- Website: https://northline.layoutpages.com
- [Instagram](https://instagram.com)
- [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com)