Jill Schrtamm/MDN Doug Larson sits among display boards showing some of the projects he has worked on in his more than 41 years in architecture at a retirement party Feb. 24.

Having spent more than 41 years designing building projects, architect Doug Larson has left a definite mark on the Minot region’s landscape.

Larson, who retired from JLG Architects at the end of 2021, said it has been an enjoyable career.

“I worked with a lot of great people. A lot of them are still in town here working at various places. It’s been awesome,” he said.

Larson has had an accomplished career with specialized expertise in federal, state, commercial, educational, and civic projects throughout the Midwest and western North Dakota, according to JLG. He has worked with government agencies, including the Department of Labor, the United States Postal Service, the Cities of Minot and Devils Lake and the North Dakota National Guard.

“A partner and principal architect with JLG, Doug’s four-decade career has made a lasting impact on our firm, communities and profession,” said JLG CEO Michelle Mongeon Allen. “And for all the evidence of his contributions to the built environment, his greatest legacy is the mentorship he has provided to the generations of emerging leaders who continue to follow his example of client and community service and engagement.”

Larson feels a sense of pride when walking into completed buildings for which he participated in the architectural design, although he notes he can’t take all the credit.

“It’s a team effort always,” he said of his work over the years.

Still, he found it interesting to work on some of the region’s biggest projects. Those projects have included:

– Ward County office building and jail/Courthouse.

-  Minot Public Schools’ Longfellow Elementary, Lewis and Clark Elementary School, Perkett Elementary School, Edison Elementary School.

– Watford City High School and Elementary School, and Rough Rider Center.

– First Western Bank & Trust in Bismarck.

– Joe Alme Centre at the International Music Camp at the Peace Garden, Dunseith.

– Minot Family YMCA

— Armed Forces Reserve Center, Minot.

One of his favorite projects was the Minot State University Dome remodel in 2019, Larson said.

“That seating project there kind of reinvigorated that facility,” he said. 

“I always thought that big or small, any successful project was fun,” Larson added. “Those projects in Watford City, in watching the high school and the events center go up – they’re big projects, and when you come in from the east into town, they’re sitting up on top of the hill up there. It’s a pretty impressive sight.”

Larson has seen hand-drawn architectural plans give way to computer software, but even today’s computer-generated renderings don’t do a building justice.

“It’s always better in person,” Larson said. “I think the Dome was surprising just because the rendering only shows a certain view, but when you’re in there, you can turn your head and look 360. And the college has done a lot of additional work just to clean up the background and do a lot of painting. That’s a real satisfying one to walk into.”

Larson’s interest in architecture was whetted when a teacher introduced a drafting program into the curriculum at his high school in New Rockford.

Larson went on to study architecture at North Dakota State University, where one of his roommates was Brad Thomas of Minot, now with Thomas Family Funeral Home. Back in 1980 when Larson graduated from NDSU, there was little work in North Dakota for architects, but Thomas’ father mentioned that a Minot architect, Ed Leonard, was looking for help. Larson interviewed and was offered the job.

“Dakota Square was brand new. I went to the JC Penney court for about an hour and thought about it and came back and told him I’d join up,” he recalled. “That’s how I ended up in Minot.”

Because it was a small firm with just the two of them and times were slow economically, jobs were scarce, and Larson found himself laid off for a time. He continued to find jobs in his field, including as an independent contractor for a time. In 1988, the state’s architects were in Minot for a state convention, and Larson became acquainted with a local firm, which invited him to join them.

“I went to work for Anderson, Wade and Whitty here in Minot, and became a partner, stayed there for 16 years,” he said. Larson eventually became a partner in Davison Larson Associates, which merged with JLG  in 2012.

Larson’s career has encompassed all phases of architectural services including programming, design, cost analysis, construction documents, bidding and construction observation. Toward the end of his career, Larson put his experience and expertise to work in reviewing drawings of staff architects before they went out to construction. He reviewed JLG projects from around the country.

The length of his career has led to seeing his projects not only come but sometimes go.

Larson was involved in the design of the Minot airport terminal built in 1991 and demolished in 2016 to make way for the current terminal.

“In its day, that particular project had won an honor award with AIA (American Institute of Architects). So it’s kind of interesting to see even some recent projects that maybe get a little obsolete and get torn down a little before you anticipated,” he said.

Among the factors influencing Larson’s decision to retire at this time was JLG’s decision not to renew its building lease but to allow staff to work from home. Without an office, Larson determined his best move would be to instead spend more time in his other favorite places, such as on the golf course and at the YMCA. He had owned the building that JLG had leased and since has sold it to a quilt shop owner.

Larson and his wife, Kathy, have sons in Los Angeles and Saskatchewan as well as one in Minot. However, Kathy remains employed locally so they plan to stick around, at least for the most part.

“We’re going to visit some places and see if any place makes more sense to spend a couple of months in the winter,” Larson said.