William B. Cavin, III

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '67

Harvard College - B.A. Arch '64

MIT - M.Arch '68

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

Design process.

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

Fellow students and their dedication to architecture, Lonnie Hauser for the love of life, and Leonard Parker for design discipline.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Midnight parades around the second floor balcony.

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

Group display depicting the 1966 Rome trip.

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

The beginning of interest in sustainable design. 

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.

Belief in the importance of education and travel in the training of young designers has led me to establish the Cavin Family Traveling Fellowship (see cavinfellowship.org). 

Nathan F. Knutson

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '95

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

Design thinking and avoiding preconceptions.

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

First year studio with Andrzej Piotrowski.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

The close friendships developed with those who maintained the same hours as I did!

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

Tower and Bridge project with Vincent James and Julie Snow. The final jury had significant national jurors.

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

In the era of deconstruction, the exhibit at the Walker Art Center of Russian Constructivism.

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.

Architecture school, studio in particular, engages many different and diverse issues. I believe that those around me see that as a significant leadership talent that, for better or for worse, puts me in the firing line for leadership roles in the community.

Herbert B. Polachek

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '56

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

Learning how to think for myself, taking charge in team situations when leadership is needed, and working as a team member in joint situations.

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

Robert Poliss was patient, understanding, and inspirational when needed. Walter Virett had a spirit of panache and vitality. Fred Koepper's vast knowledge of architecture history inspired me to travel and see the world. As a result I have visited 67 countries on 6 continents observing life, history, and architecture, as well as taking thousands of photographs. Rob Ceray inspired me to improve and work harder at design.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Working long days and nights to meet project deadlines, advice and criticism by fellow classmates in the absence of instructors, and several visiting lecturers such as Siefred Gideon, Oscar Storonov, Bucky Fuller, and others. A Grade 5 design sketch problem in '66 to design a reviewing stand for the city of Brooklyn, New York, after winning the 1955 World Series against the Yankees. We were a group of 12 students that came up with a platform suspended by colorful helium-filled balloons on twelve 24x30" illustration boards connected with a large 4' high, 18' wide mural. We all got A's.

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

During Grade 2, a union resort on Pelican Lake with a group of 4 students working together for a month. We had great cooperation and spirit, and there was travel involved to the site and research. Also, thesis project in 1955-1956 while recently married and I worked in a cramped apartment, as well as school. A real project I worked on was a funeral home in Winona for my friends parents funeral home.

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 Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Groupius, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Eames, and Alexander Girard. Hugh Ferris for his black charcoal rendered and Lou Angelivis for his tempera color renderings. I was impressed by firms that contributed to school with literature, magazines, and samples. Our library was a valuable resource for background history and inspiration. 

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.

Over the years I have served on the planning commission and board of zoning appeals in Golden Valley, served on an advisory committee for a northeastern Wisconsin Methodist Church, been a member of AIA and president of NE Wisconsin District AIA, lectured students at AIA meetings in said meetings and various technical schools, and was a member of the board of trustees for Caloreftes in Green Bay and Golden Valley. I also lectured students at the University of Minnesota department of Interior Design from 1974 to 1985.

Charles A. Kubat

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '70, B.Arch '70

MIT - MCP '77

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

Organized thinking and problem solving in a creative way, and communicating that thinking.

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

Ralph Rapson for his leadership of the school and open minded approach to design, Dewy Thorbeck for his introduction to creative collaborative interdisciplinary practice, Roger Clemence for his leadership of the community outreach studio and mentorship of us as first participants in a new and mind expanding experiment, and his quiet and supportive personality. Also, Professor Iskander opened my eyes to "planning," Dennis Grebner for his attention to drawing and design, and Milo Thompson for his focus on design.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Our late night (mid-morning 3am) marches and antics around the upper level of the main courtyard to break up a long over-nighter. Everyone spray gluing tissue to boards in the hallways 30 minutes before final presentations and the sounds of Janus Joplin and Creedance wafting through the studio late at night.

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

A master plan and urban housing for the island in the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul, 

an interdisciplinary regional commercial development master plan for the suburb of Hopkins, the Europe study tour showcase of Spain (our location that year), various projects for the Minneapolis Model City Program in our outreach studio including my thesis for a Communications System and Coordinating Center for the Program

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

My experience in the studio seeing the rendering and sketching work of Ralph Rapson and older students inspired me to master my own technique. My trip to Spain with our class was the beginning of a monumental summer travel and personal growth experience that has influenced the rest of my career and life. My experiences in the outreach studio led me to help found and work in a Community Design Center in Denver and has influenced my entire career in working with clients, neighborhoods, and larger communities.

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.

I see my education as having prepared me to not just design buildings, but to influence the creation of great neighborhoods, villages, and entire planned communities both as a designer and a client for creative community solutions. These have opened the opportunities for richer lives in the places I have helped create in Kingwood, TX; Memphis, TN; and Las Vegas, NV.

Rolf M. Kemen

University of Minnesota - B.LArch '73, BED '74, B.Arch '76

Harvard University - M.Arch '79

New York University - MBA '85

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

The most important learned skill was the development of a process oriented approach to solving design problems and identifying solutions. I applied this process orientation to many different types of non-design problems to generate rational alternatives and optimal solutions.

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

Design critics as a group. Their focus was to develop the ideas and concepts that you were working on, however rudimentary and poorly conceived, into a rational and well-developed design.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

All-nighters. Fun at the time, but realizing today how productivity drops exponentially during all night. Design charrettes helped me develop a more result-oriented work discipline so I could avoid all-nighters during my career.

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

Architectural thesis on the Coca-Cola site on the riverfront in Minneapolis. It has been fun to see the riverfront develop over the past 30 years.

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

Working in a studio setting. The role of collaborative work and exchange of ideas in a studio setting fosters new concepts and improved strategies for implementation. I have used this experience to my benefit many times throughout my career.

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.

I developed the methodology and analysis that enabled the administration of the Minneapolis Public Schools, after 40 years of trying, to confirm to the Board and the taxpayers of Minneapolis that it was more cost effective to build a new headquarters facility than remain in the four locations that were being used to house HQ functions.

John L. Weidt

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '67

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

Teamwork.

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

Really impossible to single out one individual, especially with the benefit of years of hindsight. Ralph Rapson, of course. Dewey Thorbeck for his team approach, integrity, design skills. David Bennett, Dennis Holloway, Tom Bender, Hosni Iskander for encouraging me to look to non-traditional environmental approaches to architecture. Last but not least, Lance Lavine, the first written thesis at the school, a tireless educator of environmental ethics and action.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Working with fellow students and APX brothers to complete projects. 

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

Working with Mark Beckman on our thesis, with Tom Martinson's invaluable assistance in the darkroom, on Archiecoframe.

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

Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Malcolm Wells, and Charles Gwathmey.

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.

Founded a firm that has provided assistance on millions of square feet of building construction to significantly reduce their negative energy and environmental impact.

Ross Asselstine

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '83

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

Question everything. Try to work on the most challenging projects possible. Find a passion and learn as much as possible all the time.

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

The men I worked with on construction sites and my engineering professors. I love architecture but the others guys made me unique in the field.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

The camaraderie. We were all close like no other degree because of the process.

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

Energy and transport issues were a great parallel on some assignments and the Marble Mover was hilarious.

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

Wright, Johnson, and Hippie Naive architecture.

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.

Architects have to lead teams. Group projects pretty much suck, but they are absolutely essential because if you can't lead and learn to lead, you will never be an architect.

Wayne B. Holtan

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '77, BED '77

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

Design organization and process.

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

Third year design studio of building methodology and how to approach and resolve design problems.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

My thesis project, which was good and bad. The many hours in the studio on hot June days and nights with someone installing a "through the door" AC unit in the studio space.

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

Working on the "green" house before sustainable design was an advertising buzz word in an environmental design class.

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

Our study abroad trip to Italy in our 4th year design studio in '76, chaperoned by Ralph Rapson. What a memorable opportunity that was to have personal time with the head of the school and learn a little more about his personal career, his quick wit, hearing stories of his escapades at Cranbrook, meeting some of his previous graduates in Rome, and always his sketches. I appreciate it more now on reflection than when we were actually there.

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.

In some small way, and some bigger than others, I think every project I have done had a positive impact on our community. We learned to design, not just take the first solution, and work to the best solution possible.

Joel H. Goodman

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '66

MIT - M.Arch '68

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

I learned how to develop architectural conceptual ideas into designs that can be realized and associated communication techniques.

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

Ralph Rapson accepted me into the School of Architecture at Grade 3 design as a transfer student from the University of Illinois. We met in his office over the steak restaurant and he said, "Come on." There was not much bureaucracy at that time. The University of Minnesota architectural education environment at that time greatly influenced me, and Rapson for the most part organized and formed it.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

The educational sincerity, atmosphere of integrity, and camaraderie with students and faculty in the architecture court building.

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

The University of California at Santa Cruz Arts Theater Center thesis project.

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

To search for a synthesis of structural-material logic and non-whimsical aesthetic forms. A lasting and important influence was the quality of the architectural court building design. I think I was overly influenced by Rapson's grease pencil cartoon drawing style. Most students, as I did as well, tried and followed the rendering styles that were in fashion at the time. However, looking back it was the quality of the architecture court building design and the vibration of earnestness from the cumulative efforts of the faculty and students that has had the most lasting quality influence. The School of Architecture court building, as I realized years after my student and teaching days at the U of M, is an outstanding and rare integration of the influences of the minimum slim steel clean spaces of Mies and the hyperbolic shells of Candella, North and South, unified with the daylit court pedestrian square, all wrapped in the unpretentious humility of Midwest brick masonry. It touched me in my formative days like no other building has. Is it John Rauma that we have to thank for the design of the School of Architecture court building?

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.

Environmental regeneration as a basis for urban design and building integrated active solar energy research.

Nicholas A. Hofstede

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '03

Rice University - M.Arch '07

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

I believe that for me, the seeds for a continuous strive for clarity in an idea were planted at the U; that there must be an engagement, ambition, and intensity for architecture to advance design and influence impact into the built environment.

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

Thomas Fisher influenced me to instill a positive and inquisitive attitude, thoughtfulness in work and goals, both personally and architecturally. I was always impressed by Tom's sensitivity and wisdom. Robert Adams and Dawn Gilpin had a very lasting impression of instilling clarity of thought, intensity, purpose, and quality in ALL work. My fellow students in the Honor Program, and our shared commitment to the discourse, collective skills and knowledge, and pushing each other to think and do better.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

There are many! One, having the last big Beaux Arts Ball parties in the old architecture building before the renovation. Ralph Rapson and previous deans were there waxing poetic about parties there in the 60's, and we "shut the building down." Our class was displaced in four buildings around campus, and our adoption and adaptation of these old classroom spaces in these buildings made for a memorable time. Our temporary locations also made it easier to get questionable Chinese take-out food in Dinkytown before almost every studio.

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

My studio projects, and especially the drawing projects, were all quite memorable and valuable. But the most valuable project for me and the one I still think about often was my Honor's Thesis Project, which in most respects was a complete disaster in its effort to approach something so broad with such shallow focus. This failure was a valuable tool for me and the lessons learned are something I continually use as I approach a design project or idea in order to achieve clarity, depth, purpose, and intent.

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

Most influential to me was drawing, more specifically a technical means of drawing and diagramming taught by Adams and Gilpin. Although I draw or diagram now quickly to communicate ideas to a client or design team, the precision and understanding of drawing as an architectural construct, a way to communicate, an artful medium, and a means to show a great underlying depth in thinking, provided a strong method that could be applied to any idea and transcend any preference of "style" being taught at a certain time.

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.

That is still in process and I would argue that instead of being specific about the impact, I would say that the education and base provided me only a positive impact and betterment of our environments, as it's our charge in society as architects and designers to better what I know best; the spaces our community, city, nation, and world inhabit. Every design project I approach with the goal to invest as much thought, strength quality, foresight, radicalness, and skillfulness into its outcome to advance architectural ideas. My education and experience in its totality has instilled these drives and continually inspires me today.

Amy L. Meller

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '00, M.Arch '02

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

How to think conceptually and outside the box, and then apply to in-the-box design problems.

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

Greg Watson - You learn more from your failures than you do from your successes, and often the solution exists in your previous attempts.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

The studio culture.

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

The Music Education building, which was my M.Arch thesis project.

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

Lance Lavine for introducing me to phenomenology; Ali Hesmati for how to physically model and manipulate space; Greg Watson for teaching how to design and the importance of using different media in creative thinking; Steve Weeks stating that building materials and details do matter; and Bob Mack for historic preservation and its role in a "modernist" society.

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.

My career focuses on historic preservation and the sustainable reuse of existing buildings and structures. My work reflects the core values I began fostering while at the University of Minnesota. Reuse solutions are often subtle, requiring creative thinking and a blending of past building techniques and modern technology.

Jared M. Eder

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '03

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

I didn't know it then, but those were the years where I started to see things differently. I looked at things a little bit more critically, observed my surroundings, and appreciate the little things that "worked."

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

Charlie Lazor's summer furniture design studio. Summer studio was a different animal and to focus on an object of that scale and produce a final product was something I had never expected to do in undergrad. It was great to focus in on the smallest details of furniture and design. Katherine Solomonson and her suburbia course are lasting memories, and Leon Satkowski's course on Gothic cathedrals was incredibly interesting and his knowledge was incredibly impressive.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Creating a bond with my studio mates and of course, "social gatherings."

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

We studied the Milwaukee Avenue Historic District in Rob Goods studio as an exercise that contributed to our design of a multi-generational housing concept. I still have the model. Again, summer furniture design studio with Charles Lazor.

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

Being there while the addition was getting constructed created a lot of discussions that were very valuable. Also, I didn't appreciate it then but Rapson Hall (the original building) is a great place to study architecture and far exceed facilities at other schools.

Emilie Schmitz

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '09

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

To be self-critical of my work and to see the beauty in simple design elements.

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

My first studio professor, Dan Clark. He taught me how to take my ideas and edit them, refine them, and then present them in a clear diagrammatic way.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

In my final studio my professor, Dale Mulfinger, made us go to a site visit in Northern Minnesota. We had to rent snow shoes and hike around our sites for two days. I never realized how hard snow shoeing was! Between that, having Dale's wife's home cooking and hanging out with studio mates for two nights, that northern adventure became one of the most memorable trips of my undergrad.

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

My first studio project, a row clubhouse, because I had to hand draw everything and made one of my favorite scale models completely out of basswood and rice paper. When it was picked to be put on display for an AIA convention, it was one of the proudest architecture moments of my undergrad. I still have the model, it is one the few that I've kept.

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

Architect, Peter Zumthor.

Duane E. Blanchard

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '62

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

I learned the ability to organize planning thoughts and ideas into a design solution. I also learned about the concept of space and the importance of space in building design.

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

Ralph Rapson was the most inspiring faculty member. He seemed to do more and accomplish more than other faculty or local architects. He also had a fine quality of humility and I was deeply disappointed that the National AIA did not give him the Gold Medal he so richly deserved.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

My favorite memory from the studio days was moving from the main engineering (Lind Hall) attic to the new architecture building.

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

My thesis project was a golf course clubhouse at Braemar Golf Course in Edina. Later, HGA designed a clubhouse, before I joined the firm, that had many similarities to my thesis design.

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

I think the Miesian (Ludwig Mies van der Rohe) philosophy of design, "Less is More," was the most influential force on me as a student.

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.

The School of Architecture provided me with the training and development as a young architect so I could grow and participate in the design of significant buildings that help facilitate research, education, the manufacture of medical devices, and the medical treatment of people.

Doug P. Westby

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '73

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

Creative analytic problem solving.

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

Tom Hodne saw some potential in me that he encouraged.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

I made life long friends there.

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

The Spring quarter study abroad in Europe was an eye-opener for me. It was by far the most memorable activity from my school days.

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

Ralph Rapson was a giant influence on the school and my development as an architect.

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.

My career focused upon the design and planning of hospitals which wasn't a glamorous building type, at least when beginning in 1973. Eventually, evidence based design studies verified that attention to architectural features, such as clear organizational planning, daylighting, artwork, plant materials, etc., will crate a positive physical environment that can positively impact a patient's recovery and well being! The benefits to staff are also well accepted now. It's all that an architect wants to hear!

Bruce Toman

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '76

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

The importance of quality design, the abstract beauty of the plan, teamwork, quality, interdisciplinary teamwork, and Friday night at "The Mixers."

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

My classmates, Ralph Rapson's inspirational leadership, and an excellent broad cross-section of fine Minneapolis architects on the faculty such as David Bennet, Thomas Hodne, Joe Blair, John Rauma, Milo Thompson, Leonard Parker, and Carl Graffunder. Also, committed professors John Myers, George Winterowd, Walter Vivrett, and Gunter Dittmar. They taught me knowledge, design, style, and quality.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Charrettes, teamwork, and camaraderie.

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

Student housing replacement facility on the East Bank of the U of M and 

Architectonic projects.

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

Being taught to draw and letter, which is a lost art that architects still need to be able to do despite the development of BIM and even if it is mastering the art of drawing well on an iPad. Ralph Rapson's drawing ability was our inspiration. Alonso Hauser told us, "If Ralph can draw so well, you all can learn to draw, just like Ralph did." Although I did not work as a "project designer," three years into my career the ability to plan, draw, and render a plan and section made it easy for me to become a licensed architect (pass the exam in the days of a 12 hour design and draw exam design exercise) and to illustrate the principles of the technology of architecture for which I have become most valued. My appreciation for design made me an integral contributor to the projects on which I worked in the aesthetic development of the details and technology of well executed projects.

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.

I have spent most of my career working on large teams and developing large scale projects in detail. That has transcended into the detection of the technical development of projects and leadership of younger architects in several firms. My impact on this world has been in trying to influence as many architects as possible to understand the importance of the abstract beauty of everything we do in the technical execution of projects, all qualities of design which I learned at Minnesota. As our profession has transitioned from drawings into building information modeling of highly sustainable energy efficient buildings, I have managed to remain a leader of our transition and a trainer of young architects who are producing good buildings. Many of my contemporaries who did not have the advantage of the design, process, and team training which I learned at Minnesota have faded or are fading from relevance in our industry. We as American trained architects remain the leaders of high quality design and performance buildings throughout the world. Based on what I learned at the School of Architecture I understood why Rem Koolhaus wanted to express the user program and interrelationships which generated the shape of the CCTV tower in Beijing. When my firm was hired as a consultant to Rem to develop the vertical transportation systems (elevators) within the CCTV tower, we understood the aesthetic parameters in fitting the required number of elevators within the tower space available, but this was no small challenge. I understood the design requirements of this technical challenge and in my small part, a radical new building form resulted. On the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, I understood the importance of the design statement which Richard Meier was making in my work developing the design and details of the enclosure system for this historic landmark museum which will perform for 50+ years.

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.

Mark D. Larson

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '93

St. Olaf - B.A. Econ '88

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

The design process.

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

Professors Steve Weeks, Lance Lavine, Harrison Fraker, Sharon Roe, Gunter Dittmar, and Denny Grebner for passion, commitment, and character. Visiting lecturers Frank Isreal, Ralph Erskine, Rem Koolhaus, and Frank Gehry for amazing work. Also my fellow students and Jean (Rehkamp) Larson, my wife and business partner, for life, kids and a dozen years in business together.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Rolling Michael Roehr's VW Bug up the front steps of the building to be used as a found object on our Mexico trip exhibition.

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

Sounds machine.

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

Using the school wood shop and scrap lumber to crank out last minute models the morning of a critique.

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.

We designed (pro bono) two houses for the Eco Experience building at the MN State Fair seen by 250,000 people, showcasing green principles, sustainable practices, new products, and salvaged materials. Both buildings have since been reassembled and are in use as retreats in the north woods.

John M. Maternoski

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '12

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

The design process, including collaboration with colleagues. 

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

Julia Robinson and Jim Lutz. They were just both incredible professors and introduced me to the things I am passionate about today. Julia introduced me to the social aspects of architecture which I have had the opportunity to study in greater detail since graduation. Jim really introduced me to sustainability, which led to my pursuit of additional sustainable design education in Oregon.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Model making. Minnesota has a great wood shop and lab that were great resources in model making.

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

The re-design of the Cedar Lake Bike Trail with Professor Kristen Paulsen.

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

Marc Swackhammer once challenged me to think in section rather than plan. Such a simple challenge, but I've thought about that in every project I've designed since and it's led to significantly better results every time.

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.

I haven't had the chance to practice yet, but the rigorous work ethic I learned at the School of Architecture has carried over to my time in grad school and I know I've gotten numerous compliments on my design ability and work ethic, which I have been able to share with my colleagues. I attribute these skills to the education I received at Minnesota, and teaching them to my peers has definitely made a positive difference for them.

Jennifer A. Roets

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '01, M.Arch '05

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

Perseverance. 

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

The Chicago trip in GD1.

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

The Glass Bank for the city of Green Bay, WI. 

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 really influenced by sustainable design, especially daylighting.

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.

I'm a part of the Downtown Mainstreet Design Committee for the city of La Crosse, WI.

Gail D. Manning

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '84

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

Hard work and speaking in public.

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

Lance Lavine for his gregarious, interested demeanor. 

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Support of friends and colleagues.

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

UM Itaska State Park buildings.

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

Iterative nature of the process.

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.

Education served to better represent building owners.

Jeffrey T. Givens

University of Minnesota - BDA Arch '11

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

Selling your ideas and in the truncated time tables of a design exercise, we often need to sell our designs and ideas to a panel of professionals who don't know us or our work. Getting good at selling your ideas and being convincing is important.

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

Jim Lutz and his class about sustainable design thinking and trends. Also, James Wheeler's workshop about community design opened my eyes to the world of volunteer work and the good it can do in a community.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Late nights/early mornings with new friends. Listening to "Wild Wild West" by Will Smith over and over, somehow using it as motivation to finish a drawing and I'm not sure why.

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

Hand-drafting portions of the Weisman Museum expansion project for Steve Weeks' workshop.

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

I remember seeing the film "Citizen Architect" a couple times in school and nothing has stuck with me more, or influenced my career goals more than that film. Sam Mockbee is my largest source of inspiration in design.

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.

Since graduating I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity multiple times on their building projects. On one specific occasion I used what I learned about roofing to help shingle a garage in Minneapolis with Habitat. I hope to be able to continue to volunteer and use my design knowledge to help out the community.

F. Joshua Millman

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '79, MBA '80

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

Organizing ideas, project management, and understanding that careless mistakes in the details can ruin the effect of the whole project.

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

Kay Lockhart forced me to be organized. 

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

A semester of receiving a new project every Monday and submitting every Friday.

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

Re-imagining Hennepin Avenue. 

Christopher J. Monson

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '87

Harvard University - M.Arch '93

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

The process of iteration is the basis for creating good design. 

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

Milo Thompson always represented to students the best that an architect can be; thoughtful, smart, reflective, and curious.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Having classmates care enough about you and your work to call you out of bed at 3am to get you back working in the studio.

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

Thesis project.

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

Post-modernism was big in the mid '80s and all the modernists on the faculty were rethinking their styles. Unfortunately, there were a lot mixed messages to students during that period. I will never forget James Stageberg frustrated and telling a student at a project jury, "Just look at some magazines!"

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.

The number of adjunct instructors at the School of Architecture influenced my understanding of how vital architectural practice was to society.

Terry G. Wendt

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '86

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

Problem solving and design process.

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

Dennis Grebner was one of the few faculty members that got what I stood for and recognized my potential. 

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Belonging to the brotherhood of architecture students slaving away at all hours of the day and night in studio and all the stress relieving hijinks we engaged in. We had more fun than students should be allowed to have...

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

My thesis project sure ranks high on the list.

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.

As an Engineer Officer in the US Army, I have supervised the construction of many projects in the eastern US, Panama, and Puerto Rico. I designed a stable at Ft Belvoir, VA, for the ceremonial horses used by the 3rd US Infantry, the Old Guard, during burials at Arlington. I oversaw construction of a Little League press box & refreshment stand in Chambersburg, PA. As the staff architect for WISDOT, I have planned and help design functional facilities from which DOT staff deliver services to the citizens of Wisconsin.

Andrew J. Sigfrids

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '04 

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

Design Objectives, such as having a small, simple list of design criteria and carrying them throughout every aspect of a complex design. I thank Ernesto Ruiz and that team of professors for that one.

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

Richard McLaughlin. Richard was my first year studio professor and he brought a realistic element to a flood of concepts that was probably the most practical perspective on design I didn't see for even many years after graduation. His energy was uplifting, always positive and he was the most down-to-earth of any teacher I ever had.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Hanging out in studio with a group of students on an occasional Saturday night doing design work instead of being out at house parties and bars. We would have our own fun and I can't say our work was productive after 11pm or so, but it bonded us in a way that made the weekdays even more enjoyable. Great connections were made.

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

Mississippi Riverbank Redesign.

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

Renzo Piano's style had an effect on me because his work is conceptual enough in form to be respected in a school, yet practical enough to studied from a building construction perspective. SNU was a student group I was heavily involved with during school and design of practical neighborhoods was good experience on how to practically design for people.

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.

I once did a presentation to the first design studio I worked for in China about my university curriculum. Education is highly regarded in China and my Chinese colleagues were fascinated with how we learn design and the independent thinking we were pushed to do on each and every project.

Leanna M. Kemp

University of Minnesota - BDA Arch '12

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

The most important concept I learned is by far the value and the joy of collaboration with others.

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

Kate Solomonson for being the professor of both my very first and my very last courses at the University of Minnesota, and for being such a warm and inspiring person.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Having the doorman disapprovingly tell us goodnight when we left studio at crazy hours of the night and morning during our semester abroad in Oaxaca, and "celebrating" April Fools' Day with/against each other.

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

Designing and building a brick wall for BDA studio at the Masonry Institute and all three of the studio projects with Lance Lavine in Oaxaca.

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

Monica Fogg's class on watercolor and architecture had at the time and has continued to have an enormous impact on my ability to visually communicate ideas and the artistic direction my work has taken.

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.

My love of design fostered at the U of M encouraged me to volunteer with Free Arts Minnesota doing art projects each week with children who live at the YWCA.

Richard A. Morse

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '78, B.Arch '80

Columbia University - M.Arch '81

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

Analysis of issues. 

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

Val Michelson.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Watching Saturday Night Live in the studio while working on Monday's design project.

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

The cardboard chair. 

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

Living in New York City for graduate school. 

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.

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Michael P. Sweeney

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '00

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

I learned the importance of the social and urban aspects of projects. 

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

Bill Morrish.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Watching the sun come up through the windows in the the temp studios in Jones Hall, which was the sign to go to Al's Breakfast before the review started, building pizza box models at DCAUL, and touring the Winton house in the middle of winter and feeling the radiant floor-heating in the travertine.

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

Uptown Library and the Winton House.

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

Frank Gehry and the book, "Planning to Stay."

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.

In particular, compared to Harvard where I went on to do my masters, the program taught me to look at architecture and design in a much broader range and focus. There was a refreshing openness to considering quotidian spaces, such as doctor offices, bus stops, small towns, etc., as equally viable opportunities for architecture relative to the other more valorized cultural spaces. That openness and ecumenical approach to design has shaped my continuing practice more than just about any other aspect of my education, anywhere.

Jan R. Gill

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '78

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

Humility. I am unemployed and a victim of the recession. One learns to stick to it, however wisdom finally agrees to quit, which I have done. Early retirement for me.

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

I learned the most from my fellow students Tom, Gary, and David, and seeing how each of us dealt with school. 

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Some of the stories. Glenn was explaining how no one could detail like Mies and how awesome it was, but no one liked Mies at the time. Tom answered, "He can work in my office and do the detailing."

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

My entry for the Aluminum in Architecture contest.

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

The desire to immediacy.

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.

Many good ideas are wasted in this world. Politics seem as important as design.

Anil A. Bhaskaran

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '88

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

Architectural design skills and presentation skills.

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

Professor Garth Rockcastle for making presentations based on unique themes in architecture, such as 'Semiotics,' 'Intentionality,' and 'Interpretation.'

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Sleepless nights, being mostly broke, hard work, and snow (tons of it).

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

Urban Renewal project of Nicollet Mall with awesome team work, cool presentation at the end of the quarter, and great review by the jury.

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

Leon Krier for his ingenuous ideas in urban design, Michael Graves for his innovative approach to post modern architecture, and the rendering styles of Charles Moore and Leon Krier.

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.

I could contribute substantially to Bangalore, the city that I live in and its urban architecture. One of the buildings that I designed, "Jal Bhavan," was selected to be featured among other landmarks in a book titled "Bangalore," authored by the Scandinavian journalist Coni Horler and Sandeep Madhavan. I have been able to bring in innovative architectural design ideas in housing meant for middle class Indian society. I have also been able to design and execute a few projects, the designs of which are based on two of my favorite themes, poetry and fantasy in architecture, the seeds of which were planted in my mind during my days at U of M.

Brenna L. Hoisington

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '12

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

While school helped me grow in many ways, perhaps the greatest thing that architecture taught me was the value of constructive criticism.  While constructive criticism was challenging to handle my first year in architecture school, I immediately realized just how much it allowed not only projects to improve, but also me as a person.  The aim is not on putting someone or something down, but on striving to make it greater.  Constructive criticism tested my knowledge of my own project, as well as my ability to defend it.  It taught me how to stand up for myself and my work.

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

While I felt that I was blessed with many wonderful professors, Martha McQuade, Dan Clark, and Kristen Paulsen especially made a lasting impression on me. Martha McQuade and Dan Clark helped to strengthen my ability to think conceptually in design, whereas I previously viewed it primarily from a technical perspective. Kristen Paulsen helped me to take a studio project and allow it to grow and evolve across an entire semester. She always listened to me describe my design and intentions, and offered constructed criticism that helped to fuel my process.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

While it was difficult to get used to the lack of sleep associated with long days and nights in studio, those times with other students allowed for such growth in relationships with one another.

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

Designing a bicycle/pedestrian path in Kristen Paulsen's studio. That project required us to design at a variety of scales and also allowed for such growth and evolution of the project across an entire semester.

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

Ramon Esteve was an architect that I discovered while in school and greatly respected. His minimalistic designs celebrated site, natural light, and the use of each material far more than designs of elaborate, and overwhelming, detail. He also demonstrated that design is not limited to architecture, but every aspect of life, as represented in the way that he carefully constructed the book of his architectural works.

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.

I have had the opportunity to help present the design the future site of a non-profit organization known as the Bahamas Habitat. While I have not been the one designing the project, I have had the opportunity to be involved with the representation aspect of it.

Dewey Thorbeck

University of Minnesota - B.Arch '60

Yale University - M.Arch '61

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

Design is a problem-solving process and when used to its fullest potential it has the potential to reshape the world.

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

Faculty, such as Ralph Rapson, James Stageberg, John Rauma, and Leonard Parker who inspired me to think and act holistically and systemically. Roger Martin, a landscape architect and faculty/business colleague, helped me understand connections between landscape and buildings.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Working hard and having fun on all of my design projects.

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

All those I got an A on and those that didn't, I at least felt I was reaching outside of the box.

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

I liked to draw and the School of Architecture emphasized drawing skills that I continue to utilize to this day in professional practice, academic research, and travel sketches.

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.

I am the founder of the Center for Rural Design at the U of MN, author of "Rural Design: A New Design Discipline," and considered a world leading expert in rural design that brings design thinking and the problem-solving process of design to rural issues worldwide.

Dimitrios A. Poulios

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '98, M.Arch '01

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

Designing with sketch models, the idea of process, deriving a whole design based on environmental considerations, tectonics, and respect of the user.

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

Not necessarily a single person, but I can say the whole idea of balance between design professionals teaching and the full-time professors.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Every studio was a big mess with clipboards and papers everywhere. I personally enjoyed doing sketches.

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

• GDS 1 MN landscape Alboretum: Pavilions
• GDS 2 Urban Transformation at St. Paul Riverfront
• GDS 3 Collin Row memorial design of an Urban Theatre
• My Graduate Architecture Thesis

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

How to link the past with the future and "The Necessity for Ruins" written by J.B. Jackson.

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.

The City of Allatini urban design project in '06-'07. Thessaloniki was a mediation between history and the present, not simply a work of restoring, but an approach of bringing the past into a dialogue with the present and the future. A long-lasting struggle in my career ever since my thesis in the School of Architecture.

H. Mark Ruth

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '67

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

Organization and discipline, and to work quickly.

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

Ralph Rapson and Walter Vivrett. I was Vivrett's teaching assistant for the Experimental City. 

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

The range of opportunities available to explore at a large campus. 

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

Mega-City Project in Masters Design Studio. I also had the opportunity to work in Ralph Rapson's office for the design and submission of the University of Santa Cruz Performing Arts Center which won a Progressive Architecture design award in 1968.

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 very interested in new city design, and both the studio and my teaching assistant jobs were directed toward this. I was heavily involved in research for Dean Vivrett and developed a stronger than normal understanding of the elements of new city design. I also liked the design philosophy and rendering style used by Ralph Rapson's office and many of the undergraduate students. My style evolved to be similar.

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.

After I moved to Guam in 1971, the island experienced a large-scale hotel/resort boom supporting the Japanese tourism market. My firm became involved in projects ranging from $50 million to $500 million construction cost. The ability to think strategically and breakdown large scale and complex projects into their elements was valuable. I hope that these projects have benefited the community aesthetically, economically, and socially.

Karen A. Stolzenberg

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '09

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

Methods and nuance of graphical representation, and critical thinking.

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

I was most influenced by studio professors that demonstrated what contemporary practice looks like including the tools, philosophies, and aesthetics. David Newton and Marc Swackhammer were influencing professors. 

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Exposure to new tools and techniques, both software in studios and the excellent workshops, and challenging design crits.

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

Creating laser cut models for studio.

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

I took away a strong appreciation for phenomenology and critical regionalism. From a tool standpoint, having early exposure to V-Ray and digital fabrication has been tremendously helpful professionally.

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.

While I was underemployed in 2009, I volunteered with Public Architecture. Public Architecture is a San Francisco based non-profit that attempts to make design services more accessible to the general public

Joel J. Zinnel

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '02, M.Arch '04

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

The value of design on human habitation.

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

Dean Fisher was my thesis adviser and constructively guided me through a realistic, yet creative, exploration of the culmination of my school career.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Making so many life-long friends.

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

Weisman Art Museum addition and Skyscraper Studio.

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

Design of space, not buildings.

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.

Designing educational architecture influences students to be more aware of and appreciate their surroundings.

Michelle E. Stadelman

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '04

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

Conceptual design and practical application through the Fall 2004 Undergraduate Studio IV with the Mendota Dakota Indian Tribe.

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

The time spent working in the AIAS.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Playing frisbee in the courtyard and sliding down the stairs on cardboard sleds in Jones Hall.

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

The design-build experience Fall 2004 Undergraduate Studio IV with the Mendota Dakota Indian Tribe.

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

Hand drafting throughout all of studio was a technique that I value daily. While teaching now, I stress it to students as well.

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.

Because of my experience in undergraduate I have begun teaching myself, first at the Boston Architectural College and now at the first and only architecture program in Rwanda. In May of 2013, the first ever graduating class of architects finished their five year degree in Rwanda.

Shaghayegh T. Missaghi

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '06

Iowa State University - M.Arch '11

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

Theory and drawing conventions, both the act of drawing and physical sheet.

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

Dan Clark for making it easy to relate to him and he genuinely seemed invested in our success.

Bruce D. Mohns, Jr

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '01, Design Minor '01

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

Time management.

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

Mitchell Squire, a visiting professor from Ames, IA. A great professor who used both the real world and fictional world to combine the projects and awareness of ourselves in a project. He taught you how to dissect the project to find the living being within.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Creating the "Sin Bin," a parody of the American Life contained in an asylum styled box that was just the beginning of what our society is today.

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

A community center for the Cedar-Riverside project as well as the schematic layouts of the Midtown Greenway before its inception and conversion.

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

I would say that I was more of a traditionalist and let most of what I did speak simply and utilitarian. I have not bought into the modernist "trend" of the warmth and comfort of wood and stone versus concrete and glass.

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.

Acceptance. I had to accept that my design, thoughts, and inspirations were far different and diverse than other classmates, and that the world goes round despite our differences in taste. Therefore I use that every week as a Rotarian that tries to make an impact on our community and world despite the "all walks of life" involvement in the group.

Lisa S. Anderson

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '90

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

Critical thinking.

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

Gunter Dittmar who taught a graduate level architecture theory and criticism class. He taught me to look at space and design from intangible angles.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Friends helping me complete the model for my thesis presentation.

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

My thesis project, Dwelling as Part of a Larger Order.

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

Michael Graves, Louis Kahn, and Tadao Ando.

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.

Not sure that my education shapes how I view the world. It's my faith/religious belief that has more to do with how I invest in things that can bring positive impact to the world.

Eric D. Sahnow

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '05

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

The friends I made in studio. Going through those long nights, deadlines, and stress together makes for lasting friendships, including a future firm partner!

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

The buzz of, hopefully, controlled chaos before a review.

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

Mark Wentzell's 4th year studio, the Bakery Project on Franklin Avenue. It focused on interaction and conflict between public and private, business and consumer, and void and mass. It was the start of my interest in community based projects.

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

Mark Wentzell had a big focus on the qualities of light and the emotions that can be derived from it, how to shape light and manipulate it if needed, and how that would impact a space. Tadao Ando, Steven Holl, and Frank Lloyd Wright influenced me as well. 

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.

While working on a mission trip in Mexico I used theories taught in our Landscape Architecture classes to create a rain garden for a group of homes we were building.

Nicole M. Pierson

University of Minnesota - B.A. Arch '01, M.Arch '05

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

To receive criticism well and process it fully, allowing it in even a small way to make my project better.

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

Tim Fuller was an amazing professor. He was thoughtful, kind, flexible, and pushed me always to think of things differently. When I was pregnant my third year, he enabled me to finish strong, bringing my two week old baby to my final review. He took seriously my desire to finish strong.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Crock pot studio.

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

Folly in the Garden with Tim Fuller during my first year of graduate school.

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

I remember most of my influence coming from fellow students. I enjoyed learning sketching techniques and presentation styles from my peers.

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.

I am currently involved in Rochester's CUDE (Committee on the Urban Designed Environment) which are voluntary positions appointed by the mayor. The mission of CUDE is to maintain and improve the appearance, function, and environmental quality of the community through investigation and development of appropriate policies and strategies. I have received CUDE awards for my personal property redevelopment in downtown Rochester and now volunteer my time as a member of the committee.

Eric J. Lennartson

University of Minnesota - M.Arch '97

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

Problem solving is the most important by far, along with presentation skills, composition, and design. Overall the process for a project was very important- gathering information, discussing the needs and issues for the project, exploring possible solutions, evaluating the feasibility of solutions, finalizing design and presenting the final product.

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

My favorite studios were with Lee Tollifson and Janis Ladouceur. Lee had such a great planning process for us and our two quarter studio. Janis pushed me and challenged me the most to find design alternatives. Both were later thesis advisers and were always very connected with my projects. I also liked Bill Morish's urban design class which was great for diagramming the site issues and forces.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Our projects that got us to work as a group were great. Rather than hide away and do your own project, we actually collaborated and did better than any of us could have done alone. And then there were the squirrels living in the studio with us. They were crazy- most had lost half their hair from eating pipe and duct insulation. Sometimes you would find one living in your architectural models.

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

It was great to work on the Alumni Center for the University years before Predock did the project. We studied all the gateways into campus and worked out the program details for the center. It was interesting to see the final project on the site after evaluating ten other projects that were proposed on that very same site.

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 the School of Architecture just as everything switched from paper to CAD. It was incredible to experiment on Photoshop at school and bring those skills to the office I worked at through school. We had a couple 3D programs, but they were so boxy and flat. Those experiments and early programs transformed the design and presentations over the past two decades to the 3D, photo-realistic designs of today.

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.

I have worked with numerous non-profits and community groups with architectural and space needs projects. I also advocate for sustainable living and design with local community and youth groups.

Christopher M. Alex

University of Minnesota - B.S. Arch '04

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

The most important skill I learned was how to find my own voice in terms of design. Studio projects, along with the elective courses I took at the U, helped me develop confidence in how I saw my work as an expression of my own values and views. This was balanced by the understanding that my personal experiences and design of the built environment will help shape similar experiences by every end user. It is a powerful responsibility we have been given as architects that many people are not willing to embrace or fully understand.

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

Lance Lavine made the most lasting impression on me because of his passion for the study abroad experience I had in Oaxaca, his engaging nature to create dialogue about issues bigger than myself that come through in architecture, and his ability to keep me motivated to never miss the beauty in the most modest forms of design.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

My favorite memory of studio days is undoubtedly one of the most unique situations you could find yourself in the night before a deadline. We were informed in Oaxaca that once the building was closed for the night (around 9pm) we would need to stay until the building was re-opened in the morning (around 7am). It was a long night of drawing, hot glue guns, and bonding that I will never forget.

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

One memorable design project I worked on while at the School of Architecture was a housing project that was a small portion of the overall urban planning scheme the studio had developed for the downtown St. Paul area near the Xcel Energy Center. This was the first time I worked on such a large scale before focusing on my own project as a piece of the larger urban fabric. It became an invaluable experience in how to zoom out and collaborate with others in a team setting while considering the complexities of urban planning.

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

The work of Luis Barragan grabbed me during my sophomore year and it became a guiding light for how I saw much of my work through school and into my career. I found how simple forms, shapes, and spaces can be combined to create dramatic experiences with color and movement I hadn't considered before. It was a huge honor to be able to see two of his projects while studying in Oaxaca my junior year.

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.

I think the biggest way my education has positively impacted my career, and those working around me, is the ability to have productive dialogue about how we coordinate and execute the design intent of the project. Throughout my design education I was challenged to develop the communication skills necessary to be a strong advocate for my design direction and without the ability to work with non-architects and clearly define that vision, no project could be successful.

Craig D. Wolfgram

University of Minnesota - BED '75, B. Arch '76

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

Conceptual design, sketching, and presentation skills.

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

Buckminster Fuller for the grand visions he created and the need to think big.

What is your favorite memory from your studio days?

Friendships and collaboration with studio friends, and some remain to this day.

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

The underground bookstore. They actually built something from concepts the students worked on.

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

Ralph Rapson's modernist design philosophy and his emphasis on drawing skills. 

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.

Schematic design of a school in Tanzania and concepts used for a safe learning environment for children.