Upper Left Roasters | Fieldwork Design & Architecture

Upper Left Roasters, a coffee roaster and café, is located in a 1,800 square foot building originally built in 1926 as a service station in SE Portland.

The design was inspired by light and by the setting: Ladd’s Addition, the historic tree lined neighborhood in which Upper Left is located. Oregon White Oak and salvaged terra cotta, used in minimalist and edited detail, support an air of luminance and warmth. An oak lined skylight greets visitors at the entry, and a wood clad pour-over bar and open kitchen anchor the space. The architectural palette continues with the custom furniture and bars, detailed with terra cotta accents in an abstract reference to the location of Upper Left in an aerial map of Ladd’s Addition.

The design team provided architectural and interior design services and also designed and fabricated much of the furniture.