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contact name: LOOM STUDIO
phone: 612-501-3983
email: hello@loomstudio.com

location address:
708 Vandalia St.
Fourth Floor
St. Paul MN 55114

open to public: yes
hours: 12PM-7PM

Ralph Nelson
Principal

Ralph Nelson is the founding principal of Loom established in 1991. Ralph Nelson holds a Master of Architecture degree from Yale University and has been a visiting design critic at UC Berkeley, Harvard University, Cranbrook Academy of Arts, UCLA, California College of Arts and Crafts, Rhode Island School of Design, and the University of Kentucky at Lexington. He was a finalist for the Rome Prize in 1996 and was the recipient of the 1993 Rapson Traveling Fellowship from the Midwest Architectural Foundation for a project exploring shadow in architecture and an architecture installation, Glance Casting, at the McCormick Gallery. His work was exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1991. He was a Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky at Lexington in 1999, the University of Cincinnati in 1998, and an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota from 1993-1997.

Don Vu
Managing Partner

Don received his Masters of Architecture degree from the University of Minnesota. He's received the Leon Arnal Thesis award and a Design Excellence award from the University of Minnesota. Many of his works have been on exhibition at the School of Architecture. His interests lie not only in architecture, but also in graphic design and web design.

2008 54th Annual Design Review Honorable Mention, 12BLOCKS

2007 Architect R+D Award, 12 Blocks, Concrete masonry unit research and design study.

2002 Progressive Architecture Award, Squeeze Play, work/live building with exercise pool.

2001 Graham Foundation, $10,000 grant for a study of American urban parking garages.

2000 Chrysler Award nomination, The Chrysler Award for American design

2000 Emerging Voices, San Francisco American Institute of Architects

2000 Abitare Design Award, Folded Plate, Tibetan Rug, Abitare Magazine.

1999 Emerging Voices, The Architectural League of New York.

1998 Progressive Architecture Award, Woman Suffrage Memorial, St. Paul, Minnesota.

1996 Progressive Architecture Citation, Knox Garden, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1995 AIA Honor Award (Minnesota Chapter); Knox Garden.

1994 AIA Honor Award (Minnesota Chapter); Basil Café, Los Angeles, California.

1995 First Prize; Woman Suffrage Memorial national competition; St. Paul, Minnesota

Honorable Mention, Star Park; Public Space in the New American City Competition/1996 Atlanta Olympics.

1990 Third Prize, Minnesota Vietnam Veterans Memorial national competition

LECTURES
2007 (Sci-Arc) Southern California Institute of Architecture; Los Angeles, California. October 2007.
“12 Blocks,” Invited Lecture for the R+D Summit, sponsored by Architect magazine.

2007 Breather; Decatur, Georgia. August 2007.
“Sow’s Ear Silk Purse,” Invited Lecturer and Conference Participant in Breather, sponsored by NOMAD (National Organization of Media and Design), Decatur Arts Alliance and the Georgia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

2007 Georgia State University; Atlanta, Georgia. August 2007.
“Sow’s Ear Silk Purse,” Lecture in the Department of Interior Design.

2006 University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 2006.
“Sow’s Ear Silk Purse,” Design at Noon Series in the College of Design.

2005 University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 2005.
“Maximum Minimum,” Faculty Candidate Lecture in the College of Design.

2005 Faculdade de Architectura da Universidade Tecnica de Lisboa; Lisbon, Portugal. March 2005.
“Sustaining Beauty”. Visiting Lecture Series.

2001 American Center for Design; The Wolfsonian, Miami, Florida. April 2001.
“Beauty, What’s It Good For?”, Seminar Series.

2000 Walker Art Center; Minneapolis, Minnesota. July 2000.
"Home," Summer Design Series.
San Francisco AIA San Francisco, California May 2000.
"Detail Fabrication," Emerging Voices series.
Berkeley Art Museum, Berkeley, California. March 2000.
"Collaborative Practice," 2x2 Exhibition Series.

1999 Architectural League of New York; New York, New York. March 1999.
"What's Left?," Emerging Voices series.
Castle Hill Center for the Arts; Truro, Massachusetts. August 1999.
"Where Does Architecture Begin?," Mary Louise Friedman Trust Lecture.

1998 Graham Foundation; Chicago, Illinois. October 1998
"Sleeping Beauty"
University of Kentucky; Lexington, Kentucky. November 1998
"Sleeping Beauty"
University of Cincinnati College of Design, Cincinnati, Ohio. November 1998
"Sleeping Beauty"

1997 Weisman Art Museum; Minneapolis, Minnesota. February 1997
"Representation in Public Architecture"
1997 University of Cincinnati College of Design, Cincinnati, Ohio. February 1997
"Nude Urbanism"
Weisman Art Museum; Minneapolis, Minnesota. March 1997
"Chair, Stair, Lair"
Rice University; Houston, Texas. March 1997
"Nude Urbanism"
California College of Arts and Crafts, Exhibition Series; San Francisco, March 1997
"Nude Urbanism"
Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Conference; Dallas, Texas. March 1997
"Garden of Time; Landscape of Change"

1996 State Capitol Building, St. Paul, Minnesota. November 1996
"Political Public Space; Woman Suffrage Memorial"

1994 Minnesota Astronomical Society; St. Paul, Minnesota. March 1994
"Cosmology and Construction."

1993 University of Minnesota College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Minneapolis, MN. March 1993
"Glance; Glean"


EXHIBITIONS
2003 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.

2000 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum; New York, New York.
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. Curated by Aaron Betsky
Berkeley Art Museum; Berkeley, California. May 2000
Exhibit on Collaborative Practice entitled 2 x 2.

1999 Limn Gallery; San Francisco, California. Nov-Dec 1999
Folded Plate, Tibetan Rugs.
Tibet House; New York, New York. Oct 1999
Folded Plate, Tibetan Rugs.
Chicago Anthaneum; Chicago, Illinois Feb-Apr 2000
Folded Plate, Tibetan Rugs.

1998 Southern Exposure: Gallery Exhibit, San Francisco, California. May 1998
Urban Renewal Lavatory ; supported by the Graham Foundation, the Creative Work Fund and the National Endowment for the Arts.

1997 Weisman Art Museum, Juried Architecture Exhibit; Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1997
Loom: Star Park, Unfolding House, Shadow Chair.
2AES California College of Art and Craft, Art and Architecture Exhibition Series;
San Francisco, California. 1997.
Knox Garden process and representation; group show of Progressive Architecture Awards projects.

1996 State Capitol Building; St. Paul, Minnesota. 1996
Woman Suffrage Memorial. Watercolors, drawings and models.

1995 Nexus Contemporary Art Center; Public Space in the New American City Competition, Atlanta, Georgia. 1995.
Star Park; group show of competition winners.

1994 University of Minnesota; Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1994
Loom; Observation and Construction. Drawings, watercolors and photo-constructions.

1993 McCormack Gallery, Boston Architectural Center. 1993
Glance Casting, methods of observation and representation; drawings, watercolors, photo constructions, models.
AIA National Convention, Young Architects Forum juried exhibition; Minneapolis, Minnesota. 1993. Loom: Two houses and a restaurant.

SFMOMA - Folded Plate Rugs

Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design Gallery
Georgia State University
Atlanta

Southern Exposure Gallery
San Francisco, CA

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum
New York, New York

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco, CA

Tokyo Design Center
Tokyo, Japan

Berkeley Art Museum
Berkeley, CA

LIMN Gallery
San Francisco, CA

Chicago Anthaneum
Chicago, Illinois

Weisman Art Museum
Minneapolis, Minnesota

California College of Art and Craft
San Francisco, CA

Nexus Contemporary Art Center
Atlanta, GA

University of Minnesota - School of Architecture
Minneapolis, Minnesota

AIA National Convention
Minneapolis, Minnesota

McCormack Gallery
Boston Architectural College
Boston, MA

"Home Sweet Home"
Bowtie House
SPACE Magazine, 2008 #2
Inovatif Media Asia

12BLOCKS
2008 54th Annual Design Review
Honorable Mention
ID Magazine, July 2008

"Eye Candy: Willa's Wonderland"
architecture.mnp, March 05, 2008

"On illustrating architecture"
Willa's Wonderland
BLDGBLOG, Mach 03, 2008

"Free Masonry"
12BLOCKS
MARK Magazine, February/March 2008

12BLOCKS
Abitare Magazine, February 2008

12BLOCKS
Masonry Construction, February 2008

Reconstructing Atlanta
Urban Interventions: The Beltline
Willa's Wonderland
January 2008

"Ubaner Dschungel"
12BLOCKS
BEEF Magazine 2007

"Guest Editor Picks #18"
12BLOCKS
archinect.com, October 21, 2007

12BLOCKS
A Daily Dose of Architecture, October 05, 2007

12BLOCKS
2007 R+D Awards, Architect Magazine, September 2007

Unfolding House
Contemporary World Interiors
Phaidon, 2007

Industrial Revolution
Renovation Style, Winter 2004

Unfolding House
World House Now
Universe, Rizzoli International, 2003

49 Grace Street, Squeeze Play
49th Annual 2002 PA Award, Architecture, January 2002.

Power to the Women
Art 4 d, Architecture/ Design & Arts Magazine,
Bangkok, Thailand, No. 71, May 2001

Woman Suffrage Memorial
1998 PA Award, Architecture, November 2000

Short Takes: Design: Woman Suffrage Memorial
Time Magazine, October 2, 2000

House 2000, and Notion of Time: Unfolding House
Art 4 d, Architecture/ Design & Arts Magazine,
Bangkok, Thailand, No. 57, February 2000
(in Thai and English)

Liquescence, and Knox Garden
Design Culture Now,
The First National Design Triennial Exhibition Catalog,
The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, New York,
Princeton Architectural Press, 2000

Designs from the U.S
Folded Plate; hand-knotted rug,
Abitare magazine, January 2000

Ingenious Interventions
Architectural Record, September 1999

Tibetan Modern
The New York Times, September 30, 1999

Abstract Tradition
LIMN, Magazine of International Design, issue 4, 1999

Tibetan Modern
Interiors, September 1999

Architecture for a New Century
The New York Times, March 11, 1999

Award: Woman Suffrage Memorial
Architecture, Progressive Architecture Award Issue, April 1998

Mending Fences
Architecture, May, 1997

Knox Garden Architecture
Architecture, Progressive Architecture Award Issue, May, 1996

Urban Stories
Architecture Minnesota, January/February 1996

Cafe Line
Architecture Minnesota, March/April 1995

Basil Cafe
World Interior Design, Tokyo, Japan, Autumn 1994

Limn, and Process
Interior Design, June 1993

Active Place:
USA

Minnesota County:
Hennepin

Architect

http://www.loomstudio.com