How long have you been working as an architect?

My first job was in Denver ,Colorado at Pahl,Pahl,Pahl in 1981. That would make it 38 years

What geographic regions do you work in?

We are proud of both our local presence in Los Angeles, our international reach in Toronto Canada and a few places in between.

In one or two sentences, what is the focus of your practice?

HansonLA has a portfolio of over forty national and international projects that include cultural, commercial, mixed-use, and residential types and that range in scale from object to urban campus. It provides comprehensive architectural services, from pre-design and programming, to design and documentation, to construction and project management. It also offers expertise in brand coordination, design research, and master planning.

How did your education at NDSU prepare you to be an architect?

It was a very good foundation. Learning about faraway places and buildings that were not local and not easy to reach fueled my fire to go see the world and become an international architect.

What were some of the most valuable lessons you learned here?

A respect for the profession and for those that are really good at what they do, you must travel to be a good architect, and an appropriate mentor is key to knowledge in this very complicated profession.

What advice do you have for current architecture students? 

Be curious, Venture out of your comfort zone, if architecture is your passion work harder than anyone. Work diligently but be patient. Expand your expertise and interest outside of architecture such as music, art, business, engineering and literature. Travel as much as possible.