Ronald A. Reed, FAIA, Architect

2001 CLEVELAND ARTS PRIZE FOR ARCHITECTURE

Ron Reed sees each assignment—no matter how ordinary or how constrained by budget or tightness of time line—as an opportunity for creativity. He finds great satisfaction in taking common materials such as drywall or fiberboard and introducing imaginative detailing or surface treatments to create an architecture of dignity and elegance. Indeed, his appreciation of fine detailing and the pleasure he clearly takes in close collaboration with skilled craftsmen has gained him the respect of fabricators and manufacturers, as well as his peers. His projects are successful because of the consistent application of his design ethic—from the overall planning of the site down to the selection of the doorknob.

As a principal since 1994 in the Cleveland firm of van Dijk Pace Westlake, Reed has produced a distinguished body of work that includes Invacare's corporate headquarters in Elyria, Ohio (completed in 11 months for an unheard of $95 per square foot); Ellet Library/Akron Summit County Public Library in Akron (which also serves as a community center); and the award-winning Harvey and Lorna Mierke residence in Cleveland Heights. Indeed, he has received no fewer than 20 awards for design excellence from the American Institute of Architects (AIA). In 2000, he was elected to the AIA’s College of Fellows, one of the highest honors in the profession.

A native of Wooster, Ohio, Reed learned his craft at Kent State University’s School of Architecture. In 1981, a year after graduation, he was invited to join van Dijk Pace Westlake, for whom he was to create a crisp new office space with a sophisticated, contemporary image. KSU has invited him back to present guest lectures, teach in its architectural design studios and serve on juries for student projects.

His award-winning St. Vincent Health Center, a 132,000-square-foot addition to an urban medical complex in Erie, Pennsylvania, is a subtle orchestration of shades and shadows that reveals the sure hand of a master; indeed, it seems to have been done entirely with light. Working with a monochromatic but rich palette of materials, the architect has created a surprisingly peaceful environment for a medical enterprise.

An excellent example of Reed’s architectural interior design is the corporate headquarters of Penton Media in Cleveland. He has devised thoughtful, creativity-enhancing spaces that build on and express both Penton’s proud heritage as a publishing company and its future as a global communications firm. Traditional, handcrafted materials such as encaustic plaster, limestone and wood are presented in careful balance with precision-machined assemblies of aluminum and steel, utilizing the latest in sophisticated construction technology. Employees are given maximum access to stimulating views and natural light.

Reed’s distinguished achievements in the highly specialized field of designing for the corporate workplace have led to his designation as a professional member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), an unusual accomplishment for an architect, and his selection as a juror for the NEOCON World Trade Fair’s Best of NEOCON Product Design program in both 2000 and 2001.

—Norman Pertulla