What led you to a career in architecture?
Erik: Playing with Lincoln Logs as a kid, then over time I started taking classes where I learned modeling and building skills. I’ve always loved cities and buildings. My dad and brother are engineers, but the path of architecture always pulled me in. Then in college I was introduced to urban planning in two ways: I started playing the original SimCity video game and took an intro to urban planning class. This prompted me to pursue dual degrees that helped to broaden my perspective.
How has your work in architecture influenced the way you view the world around you—cities, people, or even nature?
Erik: Architecture isn’t just about cool buildings; it is about providing housing and other needs that intimately affect how people live. It has also taught me critical problem-solving skills, the importance of curiosity, and openness to navigate an ever-complex profession and world.
How did your education and early experiences shape your approach to design and problem-solving?
Erik: The benefit of architectural education is interacting with a variety of professors and fellow students, all of which provide unique insights and support. This similarly happens in the profession – we all have ways of approaching problems and design solutions that work for us, and we can always learn from others or share our distinctive experience.
What do you think differentiates JLA from other firms when it comes to our approach to design?
Erik: Our true team approach to design. Our culture is rooted in collaboration and humility, which leads to inventive, buildable solutions. By listening and engaging every stakeholder in a project, we avoid the ‘self-inflicted wound’ of the lone-genius architect with a superhero cape. At JLA we’ve traded that cape for conversation and collaboration.
What advice would you give young designers just starting out?
Erik: Have patience, keep a growth mindset, and when things get challenging, remember what made you excited about architecture in the first place.
What are some of the challenges you are seeing in architecture right now?
Erik: One of the biggest challenges right now is balancing speed with depth. Technology can make everything move faster but that doesn’t always make the work better. There’s a risk of losing the human touch, the patience and curiosity that make design meaningful. In some ways, we need a “slow design” mindset, like the slow food movement: valuing craft, listening, and iteration over instant output.
What is a noteworthy project you have worked on at JLA?
Erik: Songbird Heights, which is one of our first housing project in Colorado. Working with Loveland Housing Authority to develop 120 affordable units, has been very rewarding.
What are you currently working on?
Erik: Currently, I am working on the Hangar Apartments – 260 market rate units in Denver’s Central Park Neighborhood. We are just starting construction documents and are looking towards a summer 2026 groundbreaking.
Erik Jansson, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, is a Vice President and Director of JLA’s Denver Office. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Michigan and a Master of Architecture and Urban Planning from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee. Erik has been with JLA since 2021.
About Eye for Architecture
Welcome to Eye For Architecture, a blog series that brings you behind the scenes and into the personal journeys of professionals shaping the built environment. From early inspirations and academic challenges to pivotal projects and lessons learned on the job. Eye For Architecture offers a candid look at the journey, the passion that drives their work, and how each team member found their own eye for architecture.