About

Metaamo Studio

Founded in 2014 out of MIT, Metaamo is a process-driven, collaborative design practice working at the intersections of building design, urbanism, landscape, and ecology.

With innovation and international perspective in our DNA, we seek spatial solutions that are bold but remain rooted in traditions of craft, ecological knowledge, and with the local communities and clients with whom we work. Our process employs research to leverage a wide array of global knowledge -- from culture, science, and the arts -- into highly specific, well-crafted designs that resonate through thoughtful responses to each unique situation and place.

Based in Portland Oregon and Bellingham Washington, but with presence in Hong Kong and Washington DC, Metaamo works side-by-side with private clients, local communities, and institutions to bring a range of project types to the finish line. We specialize in residential (new construction, additions, renovations, tiny homes, ADUs, as well as multifamily), as well as small to mid-size commercial, creative office, cultural, and institutional. We have extensive experience in prototyping, proof-of-concept, prefabrication, sustainability, adaptive reuse, participatory design, and beyond.

We are currently working on projects in the United States in Oregon, Washington, California, Hawaii, and South Carolina, in addition to projects in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kiribas, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

We are client-focused and design-driven, are always looking for new and interesting collaborations, and are limited neither by geography nor project size / type -- what we seek are collaborations with like-minded individuals who are invested in meaningful work.

James MILLER, Principal, RA / Ph.D / M.Arch / B.Arch

James Miller is a registered Architect in Oregon and Washington, as well as an educator with a strong commitment to, and experience in, social justice in architecture. He has experience working on projects pertaining to micro-entrepreneurship, post-disaster recovery, transitional and public-housing, and culturally based design that is centered within indigenous methodologies. James’ research helps bring a needed cultural perspective to critical social issues, and the results of such research will help communities rebuild while maintaining their basic identities. Miller previously instructed courses on Humanitarian Design and Inclusive Urbanism and continues to promote the importance of an architecture of inclusion and the need to critically evaluate the impact of the built-environment on social and cultural sustainability. He holds a PhD in Architecture from the University of Oregon, a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon, a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, and a certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Notre Dame.

Matthew BUNZA, Founding Principal / ASC. AIA / M.Arch / B.A. Arch

Matthew Bunza is a designer and educator who is dedicated to the creation of meaningful environments and unique architectural experience.

He holds an advanced Master of Architecture (M.Arch ADV ‘13) and a Certificate in Urban Design (‘13) from MIT, where he was a Merit Fellow, received the Floyd A. Naramore Scholarship and the Harold Horowitz Research Award, was a finalist for the Rosemary Grimshaw Thesis-Prep Award, and upon graduation won the Alpha Rho Chi Medal and was appointed to the faculty. He earned a B.A. from Portland State University, where he studied Architecture and Environmental Science, and has studied in Spain, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China, and Japan.

Matt has held academic appointments as a Lecturer in Architecture on the faculty at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a Visiting Professor at University of Oregon and Wuhan University, and an Adjunct Professor at Marylhurst University. He has lectured at Columbia University in New York City, University of Valencia in Spain, the University of Oregon, Wuhan University, Wuhan University of Technology, and Tianjin University in China, and has served as an invited critic on juries at Marylhurst University, Portland State University, the University of Oregon, Northeastern University, Harvard University, MIT, Wuhan University, and the University of Hong Kong, among others.

Previously, Matt has worked as a Researcher and Teaching Fellow at MIT, as a designer with Allied Works Architecture in Portland / New York City; and with Patkau Architects in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was born in Boston and grew up in Oregon, Arizona, and rural Massachusetts.

SUN Xiaonuan, Principal, LEED AP / Ph.D / M.Arch / B.A. Arch

Sun Xiaonuan is a designer, building scientist, and researcher, currently focused on sustainability and energy issues across the United States and East Asia, and the intersection of sustainability and people. Her doctoral research compared the China GBL and US LEED Green Building rating systems, with focus on adaptive reuse and retrofits of existing buildings, with special attention to the operations and maintenance period and the effect of human factors on energy savings.

She holds a Ph.D from the University of Hong Kong, a Masters from Tsinghua University in Beijing, a Bachelors from NCUT (Beijing), and has been a Visiting Scholar and Researcher at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the National University of Singapore, and Tongji University in Shanghai.

She is a certified DGNB consultant (German Sustainable Building Council), a GBL Manager of the China Green Building Council (Hong Kong), and is involved in multidisciplinary research on low carbon cities across the globe. She has also participated in numerous international, regional, and local Green Building conferences, and has published several papers in conferences and journals.

Kyle ALTMAN, M.Arch ADV. / B.Des

Kyle Altman is an architectural designer and environmental enthusiast inspired by the particularities of detail, digital fabrication, and spatial atmosphere.

He graduated from MIT with an advanced placement Master of Architecture (M.Arch ADV ’14) focusing on environmental impacts of offshore oil drilling and mainland agribusiness effects on the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, Kyle participated in many design conferences, workshops, and competitions including the Japan disaster resilience workshop, Nanjing China workshop, and Umeå Sweden design conference on Big Data with Sheila Kennedy. He earned a B.A. from the University of Florida and studied architecture in Vicenza Italy.

Previously, Kyle worked for Bora Architects in Portland, KVA Architects in Boston, and has collaborated with numerous think tanks and makers. He was born in New York and raised in Florida.

Felicia Zhixin LUO, LEED AP / CPHC / B.Arch. / B.Sc.

Felicia Luo is an architectural designer and multi-disciplinary collaborator. She combines building science, structure, landscape architecture, and algorithmic thinking into architectural design to create meaningful and functional space.

She holds a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from University of Oregon, graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors. Her terminal project aimed to establish cultural and environmental resilience for Pacific Islanders and Portland residents, and received commendation as one of the strongest projects. She also studied architecture in Rome, Italy, and Vancouver, B.C, Canada.

Felicia is a certified LEED Accredited Professional and CPHC (Certified Passive House Consultant). She previously worked as a Research Assistant at Oregon State University to study CLT buildings, and as a Teaching Assistant at University of Oregon for a graduate structure course. She was born and raised in Nanning, China, and went to college in Oregon.

Melanie VON TRAPP, B.A. GD

Melanie Von Trapp is a creative strategist and graphic designer who is passionate about design and communicating information in clear and engaging ways.

She is a recent graduate of Portland State University’s graphic design program and pursuing a masters in architecture and urban design.

Before working with Metaamo she held various jobs in creative fields; as a 3D designer at Hewlett Packard, a location scout for the television series Portlandia, and a touring musician for fourteen years. Born in Montana, she has lived in Chicago, Austin, Pittsburgh, and Portland, OR.

Personnel / Collaborators 2014 - Present

Kyle ALTMAN

Philip BALSIGER

Sarah BINDMAN

Matthew BUNZA

Megha CHANDRASEKHAR

Jade DANEK

Maryam ESKANDARI

Sebastian GUIVERNAU

David Su-Yau HUANG

Mariko INOUE

Dial KEJU

Hiroto KOBAYASHI

Ziad JAMALEDDINE

Stephen Siu Yu LAU

LAI Haiyi

LI Qijia

LIU Minghao

Sam LOCK

Mason LOY

Felicia LUO

Naomi MAKI

Garrett MARTIN

Daniel MATALLANA

Melinda McMILLAN

James MILLER

Elizabeth MILLER

Umeyo MOMOTARO

OUYANG Yu

Sayjel PATEL

Sang PHAM

Anna RINGSTROM

Sarah ROBERTSON

Jim SIEMENS

Peter SIEMENS

Yoshiko SHIRAKI

Scott STARK

Saya SUZUKI

SUN Xiaonuan

John TRUJILLO

Melanie VON TRAPP

Lenore WAN

Julia WATSON

Lizzie YARINA

ZHANG Jie

ZHANG Yu

ZOU Kunzhao