Ralph Nelson
Assistant Dean, College of Architecture and Design
Director of Graduate Studies
Educational background
Positions held in academic institutions
Courses taught in the past two years
Professional background
Significant publications, creative projects, and/or paper presentations
Awards, recognitions, grants, competitions
Professional licenses, memberships and service
Professional Development
Invited lectures and presentations
Exhibitions
Invited design critic
Educational background
Master of Architecture, Yale University, 1991
Bachelor of Architecture, University of Minnesota, 1988
Parsons School of Design, Manhattan Summer Program, 1985
Film in the Cities, School of Cinematography
Positions held in academic institutions
Assistant Dean, Lawrence Technological University, College of Architecture and Design, Associate Professor, 2010-Present
Driehaus Chair, Visiting Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology, College of Architecture, 2007
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Minnesota, College of Design, 2002-2009
Cass Gilbert Visiting Professor, University of Minnesota, College of Design, 2001
Professor, California College of Arts and Crafts, 2000
Sue Fan Gooding Chair, University of Kentucky, College of Architecture, 1999
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning, 1998
Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota, College of Design, 1993-1997
Courses taught in the past two years
ARC6103 Master Class Studio
ARC5584 Massive Change Studio
ARC6524 Thesis
Professional Background
Founding Principal, Loom, 1993-Present
Architect, Edward Larrabee Barnes and Associates, 1988-1989
Architect, Steven Holl Architects, 1986-1987
Significant publications, creative projects, and/or paper presentations
Farm Logic, On Farming, Bracket 1, 2010
WOW, Wonderful Ordinary Walls, 2009
Willa’s Wonderland, Visionary Drawing Building, 2009
Full House, Form + Content gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2009
Bowtie, Space magazine, Issue 2, 2008
Willa’s Wonderland, Re/Constructing Atlanta, 2008
12 Blocks, I.D. magazine 54th Annual Design Review, July 2008
12 Blocks, Mark magazine, March 2008
12 Blocks, Architect magazine, September 2007
Unfolding House, Contemporary World Interiors, Phaidon Press, 2007
Awards, recognitions, grants, competitions
Archiprix international competition juror, MIT, 2010
ID Award, 12 Blocks, Concrete masonry unit research and design study, 2008
Architect R+D Award, 12 Blocks, 2007
Rapson Traveling Fellowship, Jury Chair, 2007
AIA Honor Awards (Ohio chapter), invited juror, 2006
International Masonry Foundation, $4,000 grant for a study of concrete block, 2004
Progressive Architecture Award, Squeeze Play, 2002
Graham Foundation, $10,000 grant for a study of American urban parking garages entitled Car Parks, 2001
Selected Artist, National Design Triennial, Smithsonian Institute/Cooper-Hewitt Museum, 2000
Chrysler Award nomination, The Chrysler Award for American design by the Smithsonian Institute, 2000
Emerging Voices, San Francisco American Institute of Architects, 2000
Lef Foundation, $8,000 grant for Liquescence, installation at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, New York, 1999
Abitare Design Award, Folded Plate, Tibetan Rug, Abitare Magazine; collection San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1999
Emerging Voices, The Architectural League of New York, 1999
Progressive Architecture Award, Woman Suffrage Memorial, 1998
AIA Honor Awards (Kansas chapter), invited juror, 1997
Progressive Architecture Citation, Knox Garden, 1996
AIA Honor Award (Minnesota Chapter); Knox Garden, 1995
AIA Honor Award (Minnesota Chapter); Basil Café, 1994
Rome Prize finalist, American Academy in Rome, 1996
Honorable Mention, Star Park; Public Space in the New American City Competition/1996 Atlanta Olympics.
First Prize; Woman Suffrage Memorial national competition; St. Paul, Minnesota, 1995
Professional licenses, memberships and service
Licensed Architect
Board Member, DOCOMOMO international (Minnesota chapter)
Member, AIA
Member, Minnesota Astronomical Society
Professional Development (meetings/conferences attended, continuing education courses, etc., in the last five years)
ASCA Administrators Conference, Design Leadership and the Public Imagination, November 2010
AIA Michigan Design Retreat, 2010
Invited lectures and presentations
(MIT) Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Global Criticality Panel, September 24, 2010
University of Arizona, Tuscon, Arizona, March 22, 2010
Pecha Kucha, Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 17, 2009
Vesper College, Minneapolis, Minnesota. May 22, 2009
Public Art Review, Panel participant; Minneapolis, Minnesota. May 27, 2009
ACADIA International Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 2008
Welch Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia. March 2008
(Sci-Arc) Southern California Institute of Architecture; Los Angeles, California. October 2007
Breather; Decatur, Georgia. August 2007
Georgia State University; Atlanta, Georgia. August 2007
University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 2005.
Faculdade de Architectura da Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa; Lisbon, Portugal. March 2005
American Center for Design; The Wolfsonian, Miami, Florida. April 2001
Walker Art Center; Minneapolis, Minnesota. July 2000
San Francisco AIA San Francisco, California May 2000
Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, California. March 2000
Architectural League of New York; New York, New York. March 1999
Graham Foundation; Chicago, Illinois. October 1998
University of Cincinnati College of Design, Cincinnati, Ohio. November 1998
Weisman Art Museum; Minneapolis, Minnesota. February 1997
University of Cincinnati College of Design, Cincinnati, Ohio. February 1997
California College of Arts and Crafts, Exhibition Series; San Francisco, March 1997
Exhibitions
Full House, Form + Content gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 2009
Welch Gallery; Atlanta, Georgia. Jan 2008-Mar 2008.
Atlanta Beltline show, Willa’s Wonderland exhibited. Sponsored by the City of Atlanta and Welch Gallery.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; San Francisco, California. Nov 2002-Mar 2003.
Body Design show, Primative Hut exhibited. Curated by Aaron Betsky
Tokyo Design Center; Tokyo, Japan, Dec 2002-Jun 2003.
Pacific Rim design show, Squeeze Play exhibited.
Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum; New York, New York, 2000
Selected projects in a group show; National Design Triennial. Curated by Donald Albrecht.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; San Francisco, California. Fall 2000
Selected projects in a group show of recent acquisitions including Folded Plate rugs. Curated by Aaron Betsky
Berkeley Art Museum; Berkeley, California. May 2000
on Collaborative Practice entitled 2 x 2.
Limn Gallery; Folded Plate, Tibetan Rugs. San Francisco, California. Nov-Dec 1999
Tibet House; Folded Plate, Tibetan Rugs. New York, New York. Oct 1999
Chicago Anthaneum; Folded Plate, Tibetan Rugs. Chicago, Illinois Feb-Apr 2000
Southern Exposure: Gallery Exhibit, San Francisco, California. May 1998
Urban Renewal Lavatory ; supported by the Graham Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Invited design critic
1995-2010
Cranbrook Academy of Art, University of Calgary, University of Arizona, Harvard University GSD, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Rice University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Sci-Arc, California College of Arts and Crafts, Rhode Island School of Design, University of Cincinnati, City College of New York, Columbia University, University of Virginia, North Dakota State University, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, University of Kentucky