The firm was formed in 1984 as Gazley Plowman Architects by Eric Gazley and Steve Plowman. After Eric's retirement in 2011, Steve continued the firm as GPA Architects,LLC.

The initial client list of the Port of Portland and Pacific Northwest Bell has greatly expanded since then, and includes a number of public agencies and corporations including: Oregon Departments of Transportation, Parks and Recreation, and Employment; the cities of Portland, Wilsonville, Gresham, and Forest Grove; Alaska, Horizon, and American Airlines; Federal Express; the Bonneville Power Administration; the US Postal Service; PNE Corp.; Portland State University; the Portland Water Bureau; Cherry Hill Winery; Maryville Nursing Home; Portland Public Schools; and wireless communications companies including Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint, to name a few. The majority of the firm's practice is based on repeat clients; some of which we have established working relationships or ten years or more.

Thanks to this broad range of clients, GPA Architects has been able to provide services for an equally broad spectrum of projects. We provide sustainable, feasible, and budget-worthy solutions for our projects. A recent project for the Portland Water Bureau became the first city owned building to receive LEED Gold certification.