Approved Pro
The Design Department Inc
Architectural Service, General Remodeling, Home Building,
About us
Pat Sauer, owner of The Design Department Inc., is a Professional Building Designer with 25 years experience specializing in all aspects of residential structures: single family, multi - family, kitchen and bath design, new construction and remodeling. Member of American Institute of Building Design. Owner-operated. Cost is determined by the job. No travel charges. May contact through phone or e-mail .
Business highlights
Women owned and operated
LGBTQ+ Friendly
30 years of experience
Services we offer
Building design, planning, additions, remodels, new home construction, kitchen,bath design, construction drawings,blueprints
Services we don't offer
Landscape design.
Amenities
Senior Discount
10%
Accepted Payment Methods
- Check
Our recent projects
- 10
Assorted photos uploaded by The Design Department Inc
Reviews
4.957 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
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| 96% | ||
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Filter reviews by service
Showing 1-25 of 57 reviews
Chris W.
Sep 2025
General Remodeling
It was a great experience. They listened to my requests and responded in a timely manner.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"Thank you, working with you to bring your vision to life was a genuine pleasure!"
Victoire N.
Aug 2025
Architectural Service
I had the pleasure of working with Patricia, and she did an outstanding job. She listened carefully to my ideas and needs, then transformed them into a design that was both beautiful and functional. Throughout the entire process, Patricia was professional, reliable, and attentive to detail. The final result exceeded my expectations, and I’m truly impressed with her work. I would absolutely recommend Patricia to anyone looking for a skilled and dedicated architect — you’ll be in great hands.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"Thank you very much for your kind words [Member Name Removed], it was a pleasure working with you and your sister. All the Best, Patricia"
Alison L.
Aug 2025
Architectural Service
Pat was wonderful to work with. We found ourselves in a situation where we needed plans completed quickly—and Pat made it happen. She delivered on time and worked with us through every tweak the city required. If you value attention to detail, prompt communication, and a friendly, collaborative approach, we highly recommend reaching out to Pat. As I write this, I’m sitting in my dreamy new home studio—and I couldn’t love it more. Thank you, Pat!
Response from The Design Department Inc
"[Member Name Removed]! The pleasure was mine as to work with you and [Member Name Removed], we all learned a lot! So glad you are enjoying your new space. Best Regards, Pat"
Shelly M.
May 2025
Architectural Service
Patricia was very professional and extremely knowledgeable about designing a home. She was very reasonable and produced superb drawings. I would definitely use her again and will be referring family and friends to her.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"[Member Name Removed], I enjoyed helping you re imaginethe main r floor layout for your new home, so happy you are pleased! Best, Regards, Pat"
Frank F.
Apr 2025
General Remodeling
We've just finished the framing stage and currently building a house Pat designed for us. Her attention to detail is great, including the functional living design she helped with. She is great to work with and listened to what we were after during the design phase. I would definitely recommend her, and have, if you're looking for help with your home or remodel design.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"[Member Name Removed], Thank you so much, I really enjoyed working with you and [Member Name Removed], it's meeting folks like you who make my work a pleasure. Also, thank you for the referrals, I really appreciate your trust! Best Regards, Pat"
Jack M.
Jan 2025
General Remodeling
My wife and I were pleased with the design that Pat developed by listening to our desires and developing a home remodel design that met all of our needs.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"It was a pleasure working with you both!"
Cole P.
Sep 2024
Architectural Service
I retained Pat to prepare construction drawings in late 2020 for our new home on the Oregon coast. As a retired Structural Engineer, I can tell you that I was very happy with the entire drawing package prepared for our house. There was no problem getting a building permit. Pat used her usual structural engineering consultant to provide the necessary engineering for our house. I reviewed the architectural as well as the structural engineer’s drawings in detail. The entire package was very professional. I would recommend The Design Department, Inc. to any person wanting to have plans prepared for a custom home.
Bob G.
May 2024
Architectural Service
Pat did a wonderful job of listening and creating a beautiful renovation to our home on the Oregon Coast. She is super-efficient and responsive. I would recommend her to anyone looking for a great designer to design a new or existing renovation project.
Kimberly S.
Feb 2023
Architectural Service
We had a great experience working with Pat. We had a large remodel of an early 1920s home where we wanted to update but maintain the traditional character. Pat worked within our budget and land requirements while also maximizing our wants and making the space functional. She listened to us, while also guiding us in our options. She also worked well with our contractor and engineer. Would highly recommend and will use again on future projects.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"Loved working with you two too! Looking forward to the tour!"
Caleb C.
Jan 2023
Architectural Service
I have been fortunate to work with The Design Department on multiple projects. The owner, Patricia, assisted me with my personal house as well as a couple investment projects. In each case, I have been happy with the design. Whether you are designing your dream home or a budget investment property, I can recommend The Design Department.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"I have thoroughly enjoyed working with you and am looking forward to working together again!"
Larry C.
Jan 2023
General Remodeling
We had the best experience with Patricia. Patricia was able to take my ideas and put them into the design I wanted and even added a few ideas that I didn't even realize we could do like adding a 1/2 bath and a bigger pantry with minimal changes. Patricia was very accurate in her timelines regarding the process of having drawings for my remodel. I cannot express how knowledgeable she was and creative. I highly recommend her.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"Thank you, [Member Name Removed]! Clients like you are a joy to work with!"
Dave B.
Jan 2023
Home Building
Pat has designed a number of homes of which I have lived in or have built for sale. Along with the structural engineer, everything worked well as planned. I can say for sure the design department is a real value as I have built other architect, drawn homes that cost much more to build not to mention the design fees. Pat has the experience , and the eye to design any type of build . DB now retired homebuilder.
Abe H.
Jan 2023
Architectural Service
Pat is amazing to work with, she is professional and attentive to the needs of her clients. She made the process for our remodel simple, and her insights and recommendations were spot on. Highly recommended!
Paul C.
Jan 2023
Architectural Service
Our family suffered a house fire which resulted in a complete tear down and re-build. Having no experience with designing and building a new house, we turned to family members who had recently built a beautiful new house in Portland. They gave us the contact information for Pat Sauer at the Design Department in Lake Oswego. Pat met us at the building site, and we immediately liked the way she talked about the re-build project. She listened to our input on what we liked about the old house and what changes we could make with the new design. We signed a contract with Pat, and she produced a set of drawings on the schedule she gave us. The submittal process involved coordinating with the city and the mechanical engineer. Pat was always available to work through any issues. We never felt like we were on our own with the re-build. After we moved back in, strangers would stop on the street to tell us how much they liked the design of the new house. We are very happy with the design services that Pat provided and do not hesitate to recommend the Design Department to any family and friends (or people passing by) looking for a residential building designer.
Jeremy P.
Dec 2022
Architectural Service
Pat was wonderful to work with at every step of the process. Her expertise, regional vendor connections, and impeccable design sense made our process a breeze. We couldn't happier with the design of our dream home.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"[Member Name Removed] & [Member Name Removed], thank you so much for putting your trust in me to work with you on the design of your dream home! It's been a wonderful experience working with you and I am looking forward to seeing you in the spring. Many thanks, Pat"
Steve G.
Sep 2019
Architectural Service, Home Building
Pat came recommended by the builder we selected who had years of experience working with her over many projects. We really enjoyed working with her during the design and planning of our custom home. She is a great communicator and helped us through a very complicated process to achieve a result that was beyond our dreams. She is very detail oriented and completed her tasks very quickly. Her design ideas were great and she was very patient during the development of the project. I will not hesitate to use her services again and recommend her firm without reservation.
Frederick G.
Feb 2019
Architectural Service
We focus on planning well ahead for a large task, and this was no exception. We wanted to finish our crawlspace (currently just dirt) into an in-law suite, and also redesign a bedroom and bathroom into two bedrooms and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. These plans will double our square footage, so they were quite significant. I found Pat here on Angie's List, and the reviews were accurate- she is awesome at what she does! I really can't emphasize that enough. After our first few meetings to determine scope and measurements, we had to have some surveying done, as well as a structural engineer to look over everything. I know that other reviews have mentioned that they wanted their own people to do these things, but I found Pat's 'team' of people to be A+ as well; both for price and knowledge/experience. Although we are still on the hunt for contractors (who isn't? lol) to complete different phases of work, our workable set of plans are ready to go, thanks to Pat and her amazing knowledge, skills, experience, and work ethic. Now whatever contractors we hire will be ready to go with these plans. Our complete timeline for the plans took about 1.5 years, but keep in mind that we plan well ahead, so we were in no real rush. Throughout the process, Pat was ready and willing to meet with us in person or available by phone as we requested and her schedule allowed. She also kept us updated adequately via email and phone. Pat is great, and if I need anything similar done in the future, I have absolutely zero reason to search for anyone else.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"Thank you so much [Member Name Removed]! It was a GENUINE pleasure to work with you and [Member Name Removed] and I truly wish all of the best for you as you journey through your projects. I’ll be looking forward to your construction start and, as always, I’m a phone call or email away to answer any questions that may arise. Cheers, Pat"
CHRISTOPHER R.
Nov 2018
Architectural Service
Patricia met with us at the house to talk about what we were looking in this remodel. We discussed the scope and budget of the project and the style that we were hoping to achieve. While this was a major project we wanted to maintain a bit of the historic charm of the house. She was very professional, listening to our ideas and providing great feedback. She also provided some excellent references for general contractors and a structural engineer, which was very useful. She delivered a beautiful design, giving our family 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and a den.
Emma S.
Nov 2018
Architectural Service
Pat was the most professional, thoughtful and helpful support I've had throughout this entire project. I would work with her in a heartbeat and definitely recommend to anyone working on site planning, mapping and city coordinating. She made the whole process manageable, and executed with thoughtful, clear and speedy outcomes.
Tialen K.
Nov 2018
Architectural Service
Fantastic! Pat was referred to me from our General Contractor and we couldn't be happier with the work that she performed. She listened to us as clients, and then used what she heard to develop a stunning house that we are very happy with.
Jennifer B.
Nov 2018
Architectural Service
She was wonderful to work with. Very responsive to my ideas and prompt with delivery. I would highly recommend her services.
Response from The Design Department Inc
"It was a pleasure working with you and I am looking forward to seeing your new space! Cheers!"
Suzana L.
Jul 2018
Architectural Service
I was amazed at her ability to wade through the descriptions and lists of needs I gave her and come up with the perfect design. She understood what I needed in this building and gave it to me. She also foresaw issues with permitting that I didn't know to ask about and fixed those problems before they started. She had calm and complete answers for all of my questions and I felt supported by a seasoned professional. I had such a positive experience with her that I've been recommending her to anyone who will listen.
Barb G.
Oct 2017
Architectural Service
It went great! She came and looked at the old house which we were tearing down, but we hoped to be able to use part of the original foundation. She listened to my ideas and came up with a design for me. She was very helpful in making revisions to the design that would work for the house and also for me. My home turned out great and I love it. Thanks Pat!
Response from The Design Department Inc
"Thank you [Member Name Removed]! It was such a pleasure helping you create your dwelling and you did a spectacular job with your finish selections, it's just lovely!"
STEVE W.
Mar 2017
Architectural Service, General Remodeling
We interviewed several architects always keeping our minds open to their ideas and methods. The truth is none were bad! But Pat seemed to be the most interested in interpreting our creative ideas into actionable plans, so we hired her. We were right. We felt much less like she worked for us and far more like she worked with us. We maintained creative input throughout, and she made the ideas, ours and hers, actionable. Between the two jobs there was certainly no shortage of details but Pat's knowledge of design, structure and Portland's building codes, kept the road to accomplishing this feat clear. She was always cooperative, available, creative and delightful. We loved her work, sincerely liked her as a person and would highly recommend her with confidence.
Gregory W.
Jan 2017
Architectural Service
Pat was very good at dealing with my mother-in-law and wife, who are very visual and needed to see sketches. She came over several nights to understand what we wanted. The end result is a very nice 800 SF ADU that is very efficient in the floor plan and looks like a mini main house. We have received so many positive compliments from neighbors. Additionally, we had Pat walk the prints through the maze of the Portland permitting process. Our neighbors who also were building and ADU did not do this and it took them twice as long to get permits and they had to take off a lot of work. I highly recommend this service.
Licensing
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FAQ
The Design Department Inc is currently rated 4.9 overall out of 5.
Monday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
The Design Department Inc accepts the following forms of payment: Check
No, The Design Department Inc does not offer free project estimates.
No, The Design Department Inc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, The Design Department Inc does not offer a senior discount.
No, The Design Department Inc does not offer emergency services.
No, The Design Department Inc does not offer warranties.
The Design Department Inc offers the following services: Building design, planning, additions, remodels, new home construction, kitchen,bath design, construction drawings,blueprints
Landscape design.