The Dallas Architecture Forum will present highly-awarded architect Jim Olson, Principal and Founder of Olson Kundig, as the speaker for the Ninth Annual Frank Welch Memorial Lecture.

Through his practice, Olson has explored the aesthetic interplay of art, nature, and architecture for over 60 years. His career is marked by significant projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and around the world, worldwide publication and speaking engagements, and several exhibitions of his designs, including a traveling retrospective. Under his leadership, Olson Kundig has evolved to become a multi-disciplinary practice, globally renowned for its design and craft.

Olson has designed residential projects around the globe, often for art collectors. He creates homes that offer intimate settings for living with art and nature, characterized by a keen sensitivity to proportion and scale that highlights unique artworks and natural attributes.

Olson is equally passionate about enhancing the urban context, exemplified by his transformative work in Seattle. The award-winning mixed-use Pike & Virginia Building - the first new mid-rise constructed in Pike Place Market in 50 years - originated a style of architecture in the neighborhood. This building, along with Jim’s wide range of international residences and several museums, expresses the power of contextual design, fitting into the cultural, social, and economic milieu of both the built and natural environments.