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THA Architecture principals are contented generalists.

Although THA is known for public projects such as educational buildings, libraries and museums, it also has designed mixed-use apartment buildings, houses, resorts and churches, principal Becca Cavell said. The firm has even designed a border crossing facility in Laredo, Texas, and an armory in The Dalles, she said.

“We like having a diverse practice,” she said. “It’s that search for meaning and new challenges that makes the projects really rich.”

This drive at THA hasn’t gone unnoticed. Last year, the firm celebrated its 30th anniversary with a slew of design awards, including the American Institute of Architects’ Northwest and Pacific 2013 Region Firm Award.

The firm received the recognition following a management transition, when founding principal Thomas Hacker decided to step down from day-to-day leadership, principal David Keltner said.

“The theme last year was accolades,” he said. “For the past eight years, we were talking about transition. Last year, it was like that’s it. We’re done. We’ve transitioned. … I think it gave everybody a real boost to feel like we’ve arrived.”

The honor solidifies that the next generation at THA is continuing a tradition of high-quality design, principal Jonah Cohen said.

“We had a lot of work come to fruition, that was built, that was designed by younger designers, that was getting some great notice nationally,” he said. “Whenever we’ve taken on new building types, we’ve done really well out of the gate.”

Specialization can be tempting, Keltner said, but seeking an array of projects is one of THA’s greatest strengths. The firm recently branched into more private development design, including mixed-use projects in Portland. Keltner said he likes that THA is contributing to the city’s redevelopment.

“Higher (education) work doesn’t always have the opportunity to participate in that way,” he said. “We realized that to help shape our city we’ve got to get involved in this other kind of work.”