We are thrilled to announce AFO’s 2019 Honored Citizen, Joachim Grube, who has contributed to the built environment in Oregon and around the world for decades.

Over his career as one of the leaders in the Oregon architecture community, Joachim Grube has established himself as a true visionary who embraces innovative and purpose-driven design. You can find his influence in buildings across the state like Timberline Lodge, where he guided the implementation of the new winter entrance, and his collaborations with Pietro Belluschi on six churches including the University of Portland Chapel. Joachim’s legacy also includes creating successful partnerships between Portland architect/engineer teams and developing world professionals to design and deliver state-of-the-art facilities contributing to economic development around the world.

Joachim was born in the Free City of Danzig in 1932. At the end of World War II, he and his family found themselves in a refugee camp with thousands of other displaced people. Following repatriation to West Germany and after completion of a bricklayer apprenticeship, he graduated from the Hamburg School of Architecture. His first professional experience in Hamburg was followed by further study and an architectural internship in Berlin.

After marrying Liz, a traveling student from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, the couple decided to move to Oregon where Joachim worked at William Fletcher and SOM offices. In 1961 he was recruited by the UN to design Teacher Training Institutes across Africa as part of UNESCO’s Regional Planning Office in Khartoum, Sudan. The four year assignment was an eye-opener for the couple and their two young children, which compelled Joachim to focus his career on projects in developing countries.

Upon his return to Portland, Joachim became a founding member of Yost Grube Hall Architecture, a firm that for over 50 years has helped shape the built environment in Portland and left its mark in 45 countries overseas. But Joachim has also helped shape the lives of countless young professionals over the years. He is regarded as an artist, a mentor and an advocate for new voices. By encouraging and supporting a diverse community of architects, designers, engineers and artists, Joachim has served as a touchstone for an entire new generation of professionals.