Member Spotlight: Ben Horten, AIA, AIANS Board Member, Principal of Ben Horten Architecture and Design!

Ben Horten received his BFA at Carnegie Mellon University and M. Arch at Yale University. After graduating, he worked with notable firms such as Cannon Design and Gensler and Associates. In the year 2000 Mr. Horten ventured out to start his own architectural practice. The firm is now known as Ben Horten Architecture & Design located in Randolph, NJ. Mr. Horten has over 30 years of experience. He has had the privilege of designing a variety of buildings and projects all over the world. He is NCARB certified and holds numerous state licenses throughout the country. His office studio has completed many notable projects ranging in both size & typology. The studio is currently working on several projects including a new headquarters & warehouse building, a new hotel, apartment buildings, a new assisted living facility, senior housing, a retail building, custom homes, and a variety of commercial interior remodeling projects. The studio also has several projects in development with local nonprofit organizations including supportive housing for adults with needs, a youth center building, food bank facilities and variety of other exciting initiatives. Mr. Horten is currently a trustee of AIA NS where he is chair of the sponsorship committee and the professional practice committee. He has been a member of AIA since graduate school. Mr. Horten urges all members to join and be part of the AIANS mastermind group program to help support each other and to build a stronger community.

Visit Ben's website: https://www.benhortenarch.com/index.html | Email Ben: [email protected] Give Ben's office a call: (973) 442-5880

Q&A:

What was your favorite recent project?

The Wild Resort Hotel. This project had a lot of tough issues that needed to be resolved. It was a dilapidated building that needed a new lease on life. The ground floor along the board walk had retail tenants but the upper floors had old apartment units that were gutted after the Sandy storm in 2012. The goal was to covert the building into a new boutique hotel with enough rooms to make the business viable. It had many red tapes and hurdles to get over. The client saw the value of the design. The design really helped to get a lot of support behind the project and obtain all the approvals we needed.

How long did it take before you felt comfortable in your role as an architect?

I read an article in grad school where Frank Gehry was interviewed asking the same question. He said he was told he won’t feel like a true architect till about the age of 50. He said that was about right for him and it ended up being just about right for me too. I don’t think there’s any one thing in architecture that is too difficult to learn. It’s just there’s a lot of little things and it takes practice to learn all those little things.

What would be your dream job or a project you'd like to work on?

My dream job. Hmmm. Growing up I thought about becoming a priest but then I liked girls too much and the Catholic Church didn’t like that at the time. Then I wanted to be a physicist but the school told me after I got my BFA, they won’t give me anymore scholarships for another undergrad degree. They said go to grad school for something or get a job. I went to architecture school at Yale. Go figure. It ended up my dream job.

What do you like to do when you are not working?

These days playing volleyball with my wife and a great group of people we met. After years of neglecting my physical health just sitting at the office doing architecture, these past couple years, I’m making a real effort to get back in shape.

What are 3 facts about you that make you unique?

I immigrated from Korea with my mom and brother around 1977 right before the last big flood in Johnstown, PA. I survived the flood and am now living the American dream with a wonderfully supportive wife and 3 adult kids finding their own place in the world.
I was formerly a high school athlete. I was a wide receiver who gave up a scholarship opportunity to play for a small college. After surviving many injuries in high school, I think my body said, that was enough football. I was also captain of the volleyball team. Being an athlete trained me to be physically fit but more importantly mental toughness was something that stayed with me. Now I’m middle aged and trying to recapture a small part of the old glory days. We’ll see if this pans out.
I love learning about astrophysics, nuclear science, and various new technologies people are developing. It makes me very optimistic about the future.

Who or what are your inspirations for architecture?

Santiago Calatrava for beauty of form. Zaha Hadid for being the coolest. Bucky Fuller for thinking outside the box of architecture.

Many of my nonprofit clients who are developing projects that make a difference in the community like Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic, Oasis, Eva’s Shelter, New Jersey Community Development Corp, International Food Pantry and Norwescap. I’m just grateful to be able to assist in helping to accomplish their mission no matter how simple the project is.

Who or what are your inspirations for life?

My inspiration for my office is the idea of being able to create and leave behind a good practice where people can really say, I love working here. My inspiration for my life is my wife. We seem to get along even when she’s mad at me. It seems corny but it’s nice when you wake up next to the love of your life each and everyday.

What’s exciting about what you are doing now in the office?

I’ve survived a few financial crises. The COVID-19 pandemic was a disaster. We have several new projects that are very interesting. We also have new members joining our team which is even better.

What advice would you give to recent graduates entering the professional world?

Find a good place to learn and grow as an architect. Find a good mentor. Always advocate for yourself. Live below your means and learn how to invest for your own personal wealth. Surround yourself with like-minded people.

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