Will Bruder

Biography

Self-trained as an architect, Will Bruder received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, taking supplemental courses in structural engineering, philosophy, art history, and urban planning. Bruder was a student of Paolo Soleri, where he acquired field experience in woodwork, metal work, and masonry. In the summer of 1967, Bruder participated in Soleri's Silt Pile Workshop, and in 1968, he was an apprentice of Soleri at his Cosanti studio. Projects that he worked on during that time with Soleri include construction of the concrete vaults of the main drafting room, the 3D Jersey Project, and Soleri's book Arcology: The City in the Image of Man. After graduating from college in 1969, Bruder spent a year as an apprentice of Gunnar Birkerts, where he aided in the design of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. In 1973, he obtained registration as an architect and opened his first studio in 1974. In 1987, he was a fellow at the American Academy in Rome.

Will Bruder continues his work as an architect and mentor to students of design from his studio, Will Bruder Architects, in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. He has led work for over 500 commissions and engages in his community in civic conversations regarding downtown Phoenix and the role of design in the urban desert environment.

Burton Barr Central Library

The Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix, Arizona, is a five-story, 280,000-square-foot (26,000 m²) building that houses an open, one-acre (4,000 m²) reading room and a single, central open core providing vertical circulation. This central core, the "crystal canyon", is an atrium containing three high-speed elevators and a grand staircase. The building incorporates a roof inspired by Buckminster Fuller's tensegrity structures with motorized louvers on its south face for sun control. The reading room on the fifth floor has skylights that allow sunlight to shine directly onto the top of each corresponding column on solar noon of the summer solstice. In 2008, the library was chosen as one of the Phoenix Points of Pride, and in 2010, it received a LEED Existing Buildings Silver 2.0 designation.

Temple Kol Ami

Completed in 1994, the Temple features stone masonry inspired by ancient communities in Israel.

Riddell Advertising Agency

The building takes inspiration from its natural surroundings in Jackson, Wyoming. A skylit atrium with three log columns centers the vertically organized building. The building includes office space, a presentation room, photography studio, library, and lunchroom.

Nevada Museum of Art

The exterior resembles Nevada’s geography in the Black Rock Desert. The interior features an atrium that extends over four stories and a glass pavilion. The Reno museum was completed in 2003.

Loloma 5

Five 1,540-square-foot mixed-use living/work structures are accented on the exterior with a perforated metal gate and bamboo/mesh fence. The building has a sustainable, desert design. In 2005, the multi-unit development received a Citation Award from AIA Western Mountain Region and a Merit Award from AIA Arizona.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

Completed in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 1999, the museum is a retrofit of a former movie theater. It is minimalist in design with four galleries. The building has a James Turrell Skyspace Knight Rise. The exterior features the Scrim Wall by James Carpenter Design Associates.

Henkel North American Headquarters

Located on about five acres in Scottsdale, the Henkel Headquarters is a 348,000-square-foot, four-story structure. The “Cafetorium” serves as a meeting point for employees. The building also features a rooftop building. The building was awarded a LEED Silver rating because of its use of thermal and shading technologies, raised floor systems, and indirect lighting in office areas.

Agave Library

Completed in 2009, the 25,405-square-foot branch library is constructed of stacked bond concrete masonry units and glass enclosing a rectangular space with hard-trowelled concrete floors and sandblasted cmu walls. Situated in a suburban shopping center, the construction recalls the tradition of drive-in movie theaters common in post-war American suburbs. The library received the Landmark Library Award in 2011 and an Honor Award from AIA Arizona in 2010.

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Awards