Honoring Our Veteran Architect
Today, November 11, we honor our very own Veteran Architect, Don Rowe! Veterans Day marks the anniversary of the November 11, 1918, armistice that ended World War I. Originally known as Armistice Day to commemorate the end of the war, the date of the armistice was the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month". In 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor veterans of all U.S. wars.
When one meets Don, you are greeted with a friendly smile and warm resolve. An inquisitive architect, enthusiastic cyclist, gifted ballroom dancer, food connoisseur and music enthusiast, Don has been a critical contributor to our design team for more than a decade.
A native of Onamia, MN, he grew up working in his family’s millwork business where he learned carpentry, traced floor plans and became quite proficient in architectural drafting that he won several awards at local and state fairs. These early experiences were instrumental in his decision to go to college to become an architect.
During his time at the University of Minnesota, the Vietnam War started. Calls for active duty were based on academic performance so he knew he would get drafted, therefore, Don proactively decided to join the Navy to stay out of the foxhole. He trained to be an Electronics Technician. While in school at Great Lakes, he learned of another path that mostly included land-based duty—something that was an attractive alternative because of his forthcoming marriage. It meant extending his enlistment from four to six years and signing on to a naval intelligence unit called the Naval Security Group (NGS). NSG was primarily tasked with spying on Russian submarines. After further technical training, he was first stationed in Iceland. There was a NATO base where the Keflavik Airport is now located, but the NSG detachment was located some distance away because of his unit’s secret sleuthing. Don single-handedly maintained a fleet of Teletype machines. He brought his young wife along where they lived happily in Keflavik for the entire time.
Fun fact: Following his tour in the ice-cold tundra, Don was transferred to Hawaii where he was assigned to the staff of the Commander in Chief Pacific (CINCPAC), who was at that time Admiral John McCain, Sr. Don fixed his Teletype machines until they were finally replaced by more modern equipment.
After his discharge, Don returned to the School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota, graduating in the spring of 1977 with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. His first job lacked a livable wage and challenging opportunities, so he focused on his “inner-carpenter” skills and joined the Carpenter’s Union where he made three times as much as being in an architecture firm. Working as a building contractor and wood worker for six years, he finessed his understanding of construction, which is evident in his ability to design, draw, and detail anything! In 1985, Don decided he was “more architect than builder” and worked for firms including Ralph Rapson Architects, KKE, MS&R, SALA, TEA, Bowers, Bryan & Feidt, Levin Architects and others. He successfully completed his licensure in 1988 and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Hamline University in 1997 earning an award for his master’s thesis for a writing project that explored the sources and the impact of romantic (courtly) love existing in Western Culture.
He counts as his mentors Ralph Rapson and Gunter Ditmar who have influenced his career and inspired by heroes like Ray Suarez, journalist and host of PBS series “Wisdom Keepers,” and Eleanor Roosevelt, who faced many challenges with dignity and grace.
Urban Design Perspectives has flourished because of Don’s ability to think and serve beyond what is required. His tenacity for always doing what’s right, which is often not the easiest when dealing with our adaptive reuse projects, is measured with a crafter’s lens toward restoration with design integrity and beauty. A favorite memory for our firm is after the completion of the Historic Coliseum Building he christened the new hardwood floor with a tango! The first time in more than 50 years from when the Coliseum was closed as a ballroom. He brought a smile to all.
Don, we thank you for how you have supported Urban Design Perspectives with design excellence through the years. More importantly, we thank you for your sacrificial and honorable service to our country. Simply put, in the words of your favorite rock and roller Tina Turner, you’re simply the best, better than all the rest!
Learn more about Don here.
