Jay Raskin developed an expertise in residential design, mixed use commercial projects, and historic preservation. He works closely with clients and craftsman to design homes that not only create a sense of delight, but are also connected to their environment. His historic preservation projects have helped update older buildings while at the same time preserving their historic character.
As well as developing his architectural work, Jay has been a leader in resilience planning and design. His expertise developed out of his work in preparing the coast and Oregon for a large Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. This civic engagement included serving on committees and being elected to serve on the City Council in Cannon Beach, where he championed emergency preparedness and pre-disaster mitigation efforts. This engagement shifted to state-wide concerns, where Jay helped create the Oregon Resilience Plan. Appointed by the Governor to the Oregon Seismic Safety Policy Advisory Commission where he served as member, vice-chair and chair. He was also the chair of the National Institute of Standards and Technologies’ Community Resilience Panel, a multi-hazard approach to make communities resilient. His interest in seismic issues and historic preservation resulted in chairing Restore Oregon’s Roundtable workgroup that produced the Special Report: Resilient Masonry Buildings: Saving Lives, Livelihoods, and the Livability of Oregon’s Historic Downtowns.
From this diverse experience, Jay has a unique understanding of how communities, institutions, businesses and homeowners can become resilient in responding to natural hazards, not just for the initial emergency, but also how to recover quickly.