Ben Waechter established Atelier Waechter in 2008 with the construction of the Z-Haus ¹⁺²  in Portland, Oregon. Prior to this Ben spent over a decade working with some of the most prestigious architecture offices worldwide. These offices include Allied Works Architecture in Portland, Oregon and the world renowned Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Genoa, Italy.

Ben Waechter's extensive first hand experience of historical and contemporary buildings comes from his time working in Italy, grant sponsored travel and his personal travel throughout the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Ben feels that a solid knowledge of architectural history has greatly enhanced his ability to design buildings with longevity and a strong sense of place.

In his own architecture, Ben uses a contextual approach to design, melding specific features of the site with a solid understanding of the client’s needs. With this approach each project takes on a specific character and identity. Ben strives to distill the building composition and material palate to its minimum. He feels that when fewer well chosen materials and construction techniques are employed, the more “weight” each carries and the more vivid one's memory and experience of a particular place becomes. Ben tempers restraint with a sensitivity for surface texture, scale and detail, creating a rich balance between calmness and materiality.