Six former Texas A&M University College of Architecture students who have distinguished themselves as pioneers in their professions and leaders in their respective communities have been selected as recipients of the 2008 College of Architecture Outstanding Alumni Award.
The 2008 honorees — J. Paul Bohn ‘84, Shannon Rankin ‘82, Randy Rehmann ’78, Bryan Trubey ‘83, Joe Verdoorn ‘70, and Mark Wamble ’83 — will be feted Friday, Oct. 3 at the college’s annual Outstanding Alumni Awards Banquet, which begins with a 6:30 p.m. reception at the Miramont Country Club in Bryan, Texas.
“This year the College of Architecture is proud to honor six extraordinary former students who, through their incessant dedication, hard work and devotion to excellence, continue to inspire and fuel the college’s tradition of education, research and service at the highest levels of quality,” said Jorge Vanegas, interim dean of the college.
“Through the generation of new knowledge and innovations, supported by extraordinary talent, abilities, and skills, and fueled by a relentless pursuit of excellence, these former students have advanced their professions and industries, as well as the reputation of the College of Architecture and Texas A&M University. And most importantly, said Vanegas, “they serve as outstanding role models for our current students.”
2008 Outstanding Alumni:
J. Paul Bohn ’84, ‘86
Vice President, Director of Operations
SmithGroup California
J. Paul Bohn ’84, ’86 (BED, MARCH) is vice president and director of operations for SmithGroup California, guiding the daily decisions that further the firm’s mission of design excellence and client satisfaction. In his position since 1999, he manages the firm’s $50 million west coast budget and supervises the daily operations of SmithGroup’s San Francisco and Los Angeles offices.
Bohn is the secretary/treasurer for SmithGroup California’s board of directors and was on the firm’s development board of directors from 1999-2002.
He joined SmithGroup as chief architect in 1991 and was soon promoted to a firm principal, where he shifted into the management and operational side of the practice.
After graduating from Texas A&M, Bohn began his post-college career as a project manager/project architect in 1986, at the Washington, D.C. firm James Bayley Associates.
Bohn managed every aspect of the client relationship, orchestrating projects from concept to completion. He became known in the community through several historic projects, leading public meetings, presentations, negotiations, and hearings with local agencies.
Two years later, Bohn joined Ellerbe Becket, Inc., seeking a broader portfolio and more opportunities to learn. At Ellerbe Becket he expanded his architectural experience from commercial, historical, and retail to include major healthcare projects and interior architecture.
In 1990, Bohn became a licensed architect in Washington D.C., and became even more involved in the local architectural community. He became a government affairs committee member of the D.C. American Institute of Architects in 1991, working as a liaison with fellow chapters to both champion and challenge legislation that would affect the profession.
He is a member of the College of Architecture’s Dean’s Advisory Council and served as chairman of the college’s Professional Leadership Board for several years. He has twice served on National Architectural Accrediting Board visits to the college.
Bohn, his wife Amy, and his sisters Brenda Trifon and Sandra Gray permanently endowed The George and Esther Bohn Architectural Scholarship at Texas A&M University in honor of their parents.
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Shannon Rankin ’82, ‘86
Principal, Founding Partner
SkB Architects
Shannon Rankin ’82, ’86 (BED, MARCH) is a principal and founding partner at SkB Architects, Inc. in Seattle. Her career has been defined by a commitment to blending architecture and interior design rather than separating the disciplines.
In addition to management responsibilities at SkB, she has assumed many different roles in projects including architectural designer, interior designer, programming specialist, project architect and project manager.
Rankin and two founding partners created SkB Architects in February 1999. The company focuses in several markets: commercial, workplace, hospitality, retail and residential. Key areas of focus influencing the company’s designs are: social and behavioral studies, materiality, sense of place and culture, and blending of interior and exterior architectural disciplines to create unified experiences.
Rankin is widely recognized as an expert in workplace design and strategy. She has engaged clients such as Microsoft, Boeing, Eddie Bauer, Omnicom and Philips in innovative workplace projects that center on key concepts such as learning and knowledge sharing, enhancing productivity, and discovering environmental stimuli that inspire innovation and creativity.
In addition to her work in the corporate sector, she has experience in a wide variety of market sectors such as commercial buildings, retail, hospitality, exhibit design and single family residential.
Before founding SkB Architects, Shannon worked in Dallas, Boulder, Denver, and Seattle for several companies including Callison Architecture in Seattle and Gensler in Denver.
Her work has been published in Interior Design, Residential Architect, Metropolitan Home, Sunset Magazine and Trends Magazine as well as numerous local publications.
Rankin is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Texas A&M University’s College of Architecture, a board member of the Art Corps in Seattle and a guest critic and juror at several universities and colleges.
She lives in Seattle with her husband and business partner, Kyle Gaffney, and their daughter Hannah.
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Randy Rehmann ‘78
President, CEO
Dynamic Systems, Inc.
Randy Rehmann ’78 (BDCR) and a group of fellow co-workers founded Dynamic Systems, Inc. a day after being laid off by an employer. Since that day 20 years ago, Rehmann has developed Dynamic Systems into a leader in the field of mechanical and system installations in major commercial and private projects.
From a main office in Austin and seven regional offices, he has directed the company’s development of a strong portfolio of work in many industries, including micro-electronics, entertainment, hospitality, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and education.
His achievements include:
• growing his company to $300 million in revenues over a broad spectrum of public and private projects in 25 states, keeping a top quality product as the company’s focus, and recruiting and retaining a strong and loyal employee team;
• volunteer leadership roles for professional organizations and youth mission trips for his church, which gives him deep personal satisfaction, and at the Texas Wildlife Association, where he promotes strong education conservation and outdoor heritage;
• having the chance to instill A&M qualities like honesty, integrity and a strong work ethic in his four children, and seeing them and his four nephews have the opportunity for the Texas A&M educational experience.
He has served on the board of elders of Bethany Lutheran Church since 1988 and its board of directors, including two years as vice president and president.
Rehmann has served as president of the Austin Mechanical Contractors Association and as director, officer and president of the Mechanical Contractors Association of Texas.
He served as an officer and president of Texas A&M’s Construction Industry Advisory Council and currently is a member of the Senior Austin Aggie Leadership Council. He is currently serving a two-year term as president of the Texas Wildlife Association.
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Bryan Trubey ‘83
Design Principal
HKS Inc.
Bryan Trubey ’83 (BED), a shareholder and design principal with HKS, has focused his career on sports and entertainment projects.
In the May 2004 Sports Business Journal, Trubey was named one of the 20 Most Influential People in Sports Facility Design, Architecture and Development. The magazine cited his stellar performance working with such clients as the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Dodgers, Indianapolis Colts, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers, Chicago White Sox, Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars.
Other facilities on Trubey’s resume include Lone Star Park, American Airlines Center, US Cellular Field renovations and the MLS Pizza Hut Park complex in Frisco. His international projects include Liverpool FC Stadium, El Territorio Santos Modelo, 2014 FIFA World Cup venues in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, Brazil and cricket stadiums throughout India including Mohali, Dechi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.
As the firm’s principal with 26 years experience, he actively participates in all phases of the architectural design process, including programming. His primary role occurs in the initial planning stages where he is responsible for setting the design concept and then maintaining design continuity throughout project development. His most notable projects are regarded as the first to effectively integrate the sports environment with entertainment, creating timely, memorable mixed-use destinations.
He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Texas Society of Architects and the Dallas chapter of the AIA. He annually sponsors Texas A&M University’s School of Architecture Sports & Entertainment Studio instructed by Marcel Erminy.
Among Trubey’s many achievements:
• The new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, which has received international recognition and critical praise from the national architectural press. David Dillon, architecture critic with the Dallas Morning News, said, “It is a highly cinematic and futuristic piece of contemporary architecture.”
• At the unveiling of the Liverpool FC Stadium project, the sporting, national and international press were united in their enthusiastic endorsement of the design, calling it “groundbreaking in terms of stadium design.”
• At the age of 30, his design project, the National Stadium in Hong Kong, received a national AIA design award.
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Joe T. Verdoorn ’70, ‘71
Principal
SEC Planning, LLC
During his 30-year career, Joe Verdoorn ’70, ’71 (BLA, MUP) has expanded the role of the landscape architect in the building/development industry and become a leader in the field of community design for residents older than 55.
With every project, he strives to educate clients to landscape architects’ multi-disciplinary expertise. To that end, he champions the landscape architect’s role as project manager, directing the efforts of consultant team members whose expertise are vital to a project’s success. Additionally, he has been a proponent of sustainable design techniques throughout his career, educating clients, consultant team members and associates to the benefits of working with the land.
He has also pursued his passion for active adult community design as lead planner for all 55+ communities built by Del Webb Corporation, an adult and family community developer.
During his involvement with Del Webb, he realized a new paradigm was needed to plan communities that appealed to this unique market. He began researching the demographics and psychographics of the active adult market to understand the expectations and motivations of these exacting consumers. From this, he created an active adult community model that has become an industry standard.
This research influenced the design, construction, and administration of numerous active adult communities and expanded the knowledge base of the profession. Due to his efforts and experience, he is recognized as an expert in the planning and design of active adult communities.
Verdoorn has trained countless young landscape architects, beginning with his years on the faculty of Texas Tech University. As proprietor of his own firm, Richardson Verdoorn, and now as a principal at SEC Planning, he takes a personal interest in mentoring staff. His hands-on approach allows these individuals to grow in their knowledge and experience of landscape architecture.
His achievements include:
• his selection as lead planner for all new communities by Del Webb Corporation after a national search effort in 1979;
• a distinguished career at firms including Carter & Burgess, Myrick-Newman-Dahlberg & Partners, a 20-year career as a founding partner of Richardson Verdoorn and a founding principal at SEC Planning, LLC;
• teaching or mentoring more than 12 professional landscape architects who have gone on to establish their own planning/design firms.
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Mark Wamble ’83
Principal
Interloop — Architecture
Mark Wamble ’83 (BED) is a principal of Interloop — Architecture, an architecture and design firm in Houston. In addition to his professional practice, Wamble pursues academic research as the Cullinan Professor at the Rice School of Architecture.
His research and design work includes Symonds 1 and Symonds 2, a pair of advanced interactive learning environments built for Rice University, Klip House, a service-based housing platform developed for mass production, Forty-Eight Foot House, a private residence in Houston, Plug-On, the first in a series of residential product prototypes, Polara 7, a suite of custom designed and fabricated furniture pieces, Julia’s, a Latin bistro and bar, 1AB Stim, a site specific interactive installation for the First Architecture Biennale in Rotterdam, E-X-I-T, a custom exit light for The Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas, and Tending(Blue), a new building designed to house an art work by the artist James Turrell, commissioned by the Nasher Foundation in Dallas.
His writings and design work have appeared in publications including the Wall Street Journal, ID Magazine, Perspecta 34 and 38, Arch +, Architectural Record, Architecture Magazine, Slow Space and 16 Houses.
In 2001, Interloop — Architecture was commissioned by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Genoa, Italy, to be an associate architect for The Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas. Also in 2001 he organized and designed an exhibit of Interloop — Architecture’s work for the Aluminum in Contemporary Architecture exhibition at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. Wamble has lectured at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, the University of Michigan, the University of Texas, University of California-Los Angeles, Ohio State University, The Nasher Sculpture Center, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Wamble has taught at the Rice School of Architecture since 1990 and has been a visiting instructor at the University of Michigan, Harvard University, and Columbia University. His teaching experience includes graduate studios with a focus on working and living environments, architectural product and systems design, and advanced fabrication technologies.
While earning his Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, Wamble worked as a project designer with Eisenman Architects in New York and was on the design team for the Wexner Center for the Visual Arts at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
After receiving his master’s from Harvard in 1988, Wamble developed a line of textiles for Knoll International, became project architect for the Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, was project architect on three office buildings in Tokyo, and, with his team, designed the winning scheme for the Rebstockpark competition in Frankfort, Germany.
Wamble was a design principal at Bricker + Cannady Architects in Houston beginning in 1997, continuing to produce research projects and exhibitions with longtime collaborator Dawn Finley. While at BCA, Mark was design principal for the renovation of Jones Plaza in downtown Houston, which won an American Institute of Architects award in 1999.
