Craig A. Hess

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '72

What was the most important thing/skill/concept you learned at the School of Architecture?

Problem solving, which included thinking outside of the box.

Who made the most lasting impression (most influenced you) and why?

This is a toss up between Ralph Rapson due to the depth and breadth of his experience as a modernist architect and Roger Clemence due to his commitments to students and the community through his involvement in the Urban Education Center/Community Design Center.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Being in the second floor studio space above the Steak House at Oak and Washington Avenues that included many late nights or all nighters. It was a small studio group and close to each other.

Please identify one (or more) memorable design project that you worked on while a student at the School of Architecture.

I was on a team and perhaps became the defacto team leader for the small group one summer who won an AISC design competition. During the summer, we had to execute the steel lattice structure we designed. We were unsuccessful in completing it due to our design not accommodating all the intersections that had to occur. In spite of an unsuccessful completion, I still found this to be a significant and meaningful learning experience.

What major forces (such as individual architects, design philosophies, rendering styles, research methods, etc.) do you remember influencing you significantly as a student?

I was in awe with many students who had much better free-hand sketching and rendering skills than I did. It drove me to strive to improve my own skills. Without a doubt the social turmoil of 1968-1970 disrupted the learning experience, but in itself was a learning experience. It had a huge impact on where I thought design skills needed to be used.

Cite an example (be specific) that illustrates how you used the education you received at the School of Architecture to positively impact (or better) your community, city, nation or the world.

Immediately after graduation, I worked for 2 years at the Community Design Center and provided design services to many inner city and some rural MN clients who would not have received such service without the CDC. For the last 15 years I have been heavily involved in delivery of multi-family housing projects including many in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area. These help build communities and families.