Tyler Wallace ’07 Uses Creative Talents to Make Mark on International Architecture
2007 UO graduate Tyler Wallace is using his creative talents to make a mark on public architecture internationally. Currently working for Fentress Architects in Denver alongside the influential and distinguished leadership of designer Curt Fentress, Wallace has been actively participating in local and international competitions.
One such competition includes that of the Kuwait Courthouse Complex, a design intending the construction of 1.3 million square feet. Wallace took a culturally sensitive approach towards designing a construction that would respond to the context of a traditional Islamic setting while providing a distinguished civil presence. “What I sought to do was something sensitive not only to the artistic culture of the Islamic country, but also to the immediate needs of the underserved public that they represented,” says Wallace. “Our entry won first prize.”
His role in the project was highly praised by one of his principals, who announced that, “Tyler Wallace was a one-man team and completed the design, coordinated issues with our partners in Kuwait, and composed and crafted the competition boards in a very short-fused schedule. This was Tyler’s first competition in the office and he did a great job!”
In addition to the Kuwait Courthouse Complex, Wallace has been active in various other competitions and commissioned projects including design work for the Los Angeles World Airport, and for museums in Colorado and Tennessee. He is currently working on a new county courthouse in California.
Wallace explains that his UO education contributed significantly in setting a high standard of design that incorporates sustainability concerns. In addition to striving for LEED gold ranked constructions, Wallace focuses on responding to the local culture and regional concerns of a project’s setting. Working for Curt Fentress as part of Fentress Architects has also been “influential” to his professional career. Fentress was recently announced as the 2010 recipient of the AIA Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture as recognition for his commitment to the highest quality of public design.
As part of his long-term goals, Wallace plans to become a licensed architect with the ultimate objective of running his own firm. In the meantime Tyler Wallace will continue to work on civil architecture in an environmentally-conscience, artistic, and inspirational way.
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