THE CHALLENGE: Great design speaks for itself. But it doesn’t always speak very loudly. Despite a portfolio rich with award-winning, high-profile projects around the country, BOORA wanted to garner the level of attention, recognition and publicity equal to that of their work… Coates Kokes Public Relations to the rescue.

THE APPROACH: The spotlight traditionally points to big firms in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and other big cities. It doesn’t tend to favor smaller firms in smaller cities. That is, unless your smaller city is actually a huge hotbed for green architecture and the performing arts, and your firm is actually a national leader in sustainable school and cultural facility design. And so the spotlight swivels.

THE WORK: One of our major breakthroughs was an in-depth, eight-page feature in Metropolis for BOORA’s uber-green Clackamas High School design. Soon, more big press followed: Architectural Record, New York Times and others. Later, with BOORA’s national exposure growing, we evolved our PR strategy to include BOORA’s other projects. Many more articles followed, highlighted with a story in Entertainment Design for the firm’s pro bono work with the Portland Institute for Contemporary Arts. This coverage landed BOORA a position next to Bohlin Cywinski Jackson and Diller Scofidio + Renfro in “Architecture in the United States” by Taschen Publishing.

THE RESULTS: We put BOORA right where they wanted to be: in the company of America’s large and prestigious architecture firms. They’re on their way to becoming a household name, all the while, getting more high-profile, national projects. And BOORA’s principals are now considered national experts in arts and cultural institutions, higher education and green schools.