Ryan was born and raised in Chicago’s south suburbs. When he was 5, he moved with his family to Crete, Illinois, into a new home that his dad built. Growing up around the jobsite, Ryan developed a curiosity for buildings and construction at a very young age. He continued to gain interest while working with his father’s construction crew over the course of several summers during high school.
Ryan went on to earn both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Architecture from The University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with honors that include the AIA Chicago Award in Architecture. He had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy, work as a graduate research assistant, and co-invent a sustainable, flat-pack rocking chair dubbed “ROX.”
In 2010 Ryan co-founded design services firm WORKUS Studio. Based in Chicago and equipped to work globally, WORKUS Studio focused on a new mode of production, coordination, and collaboration, offering a diverse architectural skill set on an on-demand basis. Leading WORKUS Studio, Ryan partnered with award-winning architecture firms, global corporations such as Avon Products, and his Alma Mater. Through his dedicated and collaborative approach, he developed high-caliber designs with Jeffery Poss, FAIA in Champaign, New York, Washington D.C., and Australia. Working with a wide variety of professionals and practitioners afforded Ryan diverse experiences and body of work which includes sustainable prototypes, furniture design, detailed presentation models, award-winning competition entries, and thought-provoking residential projects.
Ryan joined Vladimir Radutny Architects in 2015 with the desire to become an integral member of the creative team and gain experience in a dedicated architecture practice. He has enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to help envision, develop, detail, and implement exciting projects for VRA in Chicagoland and beyond.