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Portland-based Downstream has been acquired by Unispace, which plans to employ the design firm’s experience creating branded environments in sports stadiums in a different arena 鈥� corporate offices.

Since starting in Portland in 2010, Downstream has expanded into Amsterdam and Melbourne. There are 45 to 50 employees based in the Northwest Portland office, which is expected to grow under Unispace, CEO Steven Quick said.

鈥淲e’re really looking at keeping (Downstream) as a discrete business unit, and Tim (Canfield) will continue to be CEO of that business unit,鈥� Quick said.

Downstream designs branded environments for business-to-business sales, sports stadiums, retail spaces and donor-facing areas for major universities. In Oregon, Downstream designed branding, wayfinding and storytelling installations at Providence Park for the Portland Timbers, and designed graphics and signs at Matthew Knight Arena for the University of Oregon.

Now, Unispace executives believe Downstream can make compelling office environments for corporate clients.

鈥淲ith the pandemic, it’s become clear to us that the office of the future needs to have a real experiential element to it,鈥� Quick said. 鈥淵ou’ve got to have really a high-impact brand.鈥�

Employers, Quick said, 鈥渁re looking for a way to really make their culture and their brand pop with employees.鈥�

Downstream’s experience with high-tech installations will help wire offices, Quick said.

鈥淭he flat screen plugging into PowerPoint is no longer going to cut it,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey’re looking for more robust audio-visual.鈥�

Downstream is also able to work with Unispace’s offices abroad 鈥� an advantage during a time of pandemic travel restrictions.

鈥淚t was kind of a hand-in-glove fit for us, not only from a capabilities standpoint, but a cultural standpoint,鈥� Canfield said.

Unispace, which was founded by two brothers in Sydney, was acquired earlier this year by PAG, a private-equity firm based in Hong Kong.