Building
Introduction
At Otak, we stand by our belief that great design is about more than aesthetics—it’s about shaping the future of our communities. Our annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report highlights the ways we bring this belief to life through our planning, design, and our commitment to people and place.
Our work is guided by our Core Values:
Integrity
Innovation
Client & Community
Excellence
Health & Safety Empowerment
This purpose of this report is to summarize our progress in the 2025 calendar year, and share the intentional steps we’re taking to build resilient communities, foster inclusive environments, and lead with purpose. From restoration design to meaningful community engagement, each project and initiative underscores our dedication to making a lasting, positive impact.
We invite you to explore how Otak is not only envisioning better futures, but building them.
Cover image from Otak project: Fall River Trail Extension | Estes Park, Colorado
Environmental
Despite significant national and global changes, our teams continue to pursue strategies that reduce impact and restore and preserve natural resources.
Our Green Otak Committee has nearly completed development of a tool to track, measure and report on our project impact, which is expected to launch in mid-2026. Inspired by frameworks like Envision and SITES, we’ve focused our energy on the areas that our project teams have the most influence over: stormwater, safety and accessibility, earthwork, recycled materials and ecosystem health.
Corporate Sustainability
We are proud to continue to support a strong culture of sustainable transportation. In 2025, we hosted and took part in multiple events:
• Spring Bike Tune-ups
• Bike Month Challenge through our Strava Group
• Bike to Lunch Events
• Bike to Work Day
• Go-tober Commute Challenge (Colorado) – Saved over 6,000 lbs co2 through our Commute Challenge.
Get There OR Commute Challenge | Portland, OR
Portland, OR Louisville, CO Louisville, CO
Redmond, WA
Portland, OR
Bike to Lunch!
Each office takes time to plan and celebrate Earth Month. Last year we had staff attend events in Louisville, Denver, Redmond, Portland, and Vancouver.
DOWNTOWN CLEAN-UP RIVER CLEAN-UP HABITAT
Downtown Portland Clean-Up
Otak’s Portland team took to downtown for a clean-up, helping freshen up the neighborhood around the office.
Johnson Creek Clean-Up
Otak team members gathered at Johnson Creek for a clean-up, helping restore the creek’s natural habitat.
Town of Superior Clean-Up
Team members in our Louisville office pitched in for a clean-up, helping refresh key public spaces.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
For over seven years, we have tracked and quantified our emissions, which has afforded us a comprehensive data set to better understand our operational footprint. We continue to see relatively stable emissions year over year. We remain focused on continuous monitoring, transparent reporting, and strategic implementation of emission reduction practices across our operations.
COMPANY GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
In 2025, our Scope 3 emissions reduction was primarily driven by decreases in travel, including more efficient employee commutes as well as impacts from changes in the total number of staff.*
* While Microsoft Azure server data was available in prior years, it has not been included for 2025. Additional server data is unavailable at this time. Commute data is based on assumptions from an annual staff commute survey.
Sustainability in Our Project Work
South Cooper Mountain: Amity Orchards | Beaverton, Oregon
Monroe Avenue
Amity Orchards emphasizes sustainable, affordable housing through solar- and EV-ready infrastructure, low-impact stormwater design, and preservation of mature trees within a public plaza. Native drought-tolerant landscaping and access to transit further reduced environmental impact and were part of the project achieving Earth Advantage Gold certification
Client: Wishcamper Development Partners
Otak Services: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Survey, Planning, Water Resources Engineering
| Renton, Washington
The Monroe Avenue Infiltration Facility uses green stormwater infrastructure to reduce flooding and improve water quality, capturing and filtering runoff before recharging groundwater that supports the Cedar River. This approach enhances long-term watershed health while managing extreme storm events.
Client: City of Renton
Otak Services: Civil Engineering, Survey, Environmental, Stormwater, Planning, Water Resources Engineering
County, Oregon
The Upper Kellogg Creek project integrates sustainable stormwater management with ecological restoration to reduce flooding and improve habitat in Clackamas County. By enhancing stream capacity, adding wetlands, removing undersized culverts, and restoring native vegetation, the project improves water flow, supports fish passage, and strengthens long-term ecosystem resilience for the surrounding community.
Client: Clackamas Water Environment Services
Otak Services: Civil Engineering, Survey, Environmental, Natural Systems Design, Planning & Landscape Architecture, Stormwater, Structural Engineering, Water Resources Engineering
Oregon
The Springwater Wetlands Restoration project uses sustainable design to reduce flooding while restoring the Johnson Creek floodplain. By expanding wetlands, removing contaminants and invasive species, and adding porous trails and green infrastructure, the project improves habitat, enhances flood storage, and supports long-term ecological resilience and public access.
Client: City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services
Otak Services: Survey & Mapping, Environmental Science, Natural Systems Design, Transportation, Water Resources Engineering
Infiltration Facility
Springwater Wetlands Restoration | Portland,
Upper Kellogg Capital Improvements | Clackamas
Small Project Award | ACEC OR (2026)
Social
At Otak, we are deeply committed to fostering a workplace culture that prioritizes respect, opportunity, and support for all employees. Our people are the foundation of our success, and we believe in creating an environment where individuals feel empowered and equipped to thrive. This includes offering clear pathways for career advancement, investing in leadership development, and cultivating an atmosphere where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and appreciated.
We understand that strong communities—both inside and outside our organization—are built through intentional action. Our efforts reflect a long-term commitment to the well-being, growth, and success of our employees, clients, and the communities we serve.
Equity
RECRUITMENT
We are committed to attracting and hiring talented people with a broad range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. From seasoned professionals to recent graduates, our recruitment and hiring practices are intended to support a respectful, welcoming, and professional workplace. Over the past year, we connected with candidates at six major career fairs and continued building relationships with new graduates as they begin their careers. Our talent acquisition team takes care in developing job postings that speak to a broad candidate pool, using clear, job-related language and tools that help support fair and consistent hiring practices.
COMPENSATION & EQUAL PAY
Our compensation program is designed to support merit, consistency, and transparency through a structured approach. We recognize employees for the skills, experience, performance, and responsibilities they bring to their roles, and we apply compensation decisions using job-related criteria consistently across the organization.
Our compensation practices use market benchmarking and review pay alignment among similarly situated roles to help maintain competitive compensation and support compliance with applicable equal-pay and nondiscrimination laws. Defined career levels provide a consistent framework for evaluating roles, and we continue refining these structures to improve clarity and alignment in compensation decisions.
We also connect compensation to career growth through the Otak Career Growth Program, which provides employees visibility into role expectations, progression pathways, and the knowledge, skills, and experience required to advance. Participation, advancement, and pay progression are based on job-related criteria, demonstrated contribution, sustained performance, increased responsibility over time, and business needs.
Together, these practices promote transparency and reinforce our commitment to equal employment opportunity and equal pay for equal work.
Colorado Team at the Mardi Gras Potluck Lunch
Urban League 40th Career Job Fair | Portland, OR
Community Leadership
Otakians are regularly involved in their communities. One of our core values, Client & Community, brings together what we do best – deeply understanding and building long term relationships with those in our community. A recent survey of Otak staff found that in 2025, Otakians volunteered over 1,500 hours across 46 organizations.
WHERE OUR TEAM SHOWS UP
Friends of Trees
Bringing communities together to plant trees and restore urban green spaces across the region.
Volunteer Tree Planter
Tina Keller, Operations and Admin Manager
PDX Momentum Project
Connecting professionals through networking, mentorship, and community-driven events.
Board Member, Web Designer, Treasurer
Gabriel Kruze, Landscape Architect
Hillsboro Public Library
Providing access to knowledge, resources, and community programs that enrich lifelong learning.
Teen Time Program
Volunteer
Alyssa Guzman, Benefits and Leave Specialist
AIGA Portland
Supporting the local design community through events, education, and creative advocacy.
Board Operations Director
Laura, Merriman, Otak Marketing Creative Director
FIRM-WIDE DONATIONS
1,198 lbs of Food Donated
Inspiring the next generation of AEC professionals through hands-on mentorship and career exploration.
Volunteer Mentor
Philip Kenyon, Team Leader of Water and Natural Resources
Volunteer Mentor
Lindsay Martin, Landscape Architect
Partnerships
Otak takes pride in our longstanding relationships with subconsultants, including small businesses and women and minority-owned businesses. In 2025, Otak worked with over 100 subconsultants that had one of these designations. Total billings exceeded $10 million (up 17% from 2024), accounting for over 55% of total subconsultant revenue on our project work. In June 2025, our Portland office enjoyed hosting a Small Business Happy Hour to discuss upcoming opportunities, common barriers to project participation, and ways Otak can continue to provide support.
Staff Development
LEADING PEOPLE PROGRAM
Last year, 25 staff participated in the second cohort of the Leading People Program. This structured leadership development initiative has been designed to empower current and emerging leaders across the organization by equipping participants with the tools, strategies, and support needed to lead with confidence, clarity, and impact.
By cultivating leadership from within, Otak is not only preparing individuals for greater responsibility but also reinforcing our long-term commitment to investing in our people, promoting growth opportunities, and shaping the next generation of Otak leaders.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT TRAINING
As part of our Project Management and Quality Initiative an additional 21 staff completed a 2-day Project Management bootcamp last year. Nearly all project managers at Otak will have completed this training as of 2025. The program focuses on building core competencies such as project planning, scope and fee development, budget and schedule control, quality and risk management, client relationships, and team leadership. This training provides consistent, industry-proven skills to proactively manage scope, budget, risk, and communications, allowing us to deliver high-quality projects and better serve our clients’ needs.
INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
Internship at Otak aren’t just seasonal roles; they’re designed to launch careers. Our 2025 Internship Cohort hosted four interns across Oregon and Washington offices working with Architecture, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Landscape Architecture. The program offers a dynamic, supportive environment where students grow as contributors, collaborators, and future leaders. Our program is built around connection and hands-on experience that includes regular cohort meetings, real-world work, career exploration, and a capstone presentation. Architecture Internship Program
NSBE Mixer | Portland, OR | April 2025
Summer Small Business Meet Up| Portland, OR | June 2025
Governance
Strong governance reinforces our ability to deliver value to our clients, subconsultants, teaming partners, and staff. Our Executive Leadership Team is accountable for setting clear expectations for ethical conduct and ensuring that those expectations are reflected in how we plan, design, and do business every day.
Our governance framework is outlined in a company-wide Code of Conduct and reinforced through regular training, transparent decision-making, and open channels for feedback and reporting. Staff are empowered to raise concerns, ask questions, and contribute to a workplace culture built on integrity, accountability, and trust.
Beyond meeting regulatory and contractual requirements, we embed ethics and strong governance into project delivery, partnerships, and leadership development. From how we engage with communities to how we support our people, our goal is to strengthen resilience, manage risk responsibly, and support a sustainable future for the organization and the communities we serve.
Safety – Job Hazard Analysis
In 2025, we continued to advance our company-wide safety program with an emphasis on proactive hazard identification and prevention. The Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) process remains a key tool for identifying and mitigating field-related risks and is supported by the Safety Committee and guided by the NIOSH Hierarchy of Controls. During the year, Otak recorded a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.80, performing significantly better than the general private industry average and remaining below common client and regulatory thresholds. These results reflect our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and employee well-being. Additionally, Otak completed Red Cross First Aid and CPR training for eight employees in Colorado.
Information Security
Over the last few years, Otak has invested heavily in information security and privacy. We have partnered with a technical advisor so that Otak manages client, subconsultant, vendor, and employee data with the latest standards appropriate to our scale.
Leadership
Otak is led by a Board of Directors and the Executive Leadership Team. Otak is a subsidiary of HanmiGlobal Co, Ltd., a South Korean company that is publicly traded on the KEX Korean stock exchange. Otak’s Board of Directors consists of Chairman Jonghoon Kim, who is the founder of HanmiGlobal, several other leaders of HanmiGlobal, and members of Otak’s Executive Leadership Team, including interim President Nico Vanderhorst.
