By Christopher Harrell/reporter
A widely recognized architect shared his architectural philosophy and design direction with SE Campus students April 15.
With more than 33 years of experience in architectural design, Greg Ibanez has produced a diverse body of work and in 2012 was elected to the American Institute of Architects’ College of Fellows in recognition of his professional advancement.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ibanez said his aspiration for architecture grew from his two uncles who were architects.
“As a child, I enjoyed making planes and drawing the buildings I took observation of within my hometown,” he said.
After graduating high school in 1975, Ibanez enrolled in a two-year architecture program at the University of Cincinnati since he had no portfolio as no art classes were offered at his high school. After his second year, he transferred to the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago. Upon completion, Ibanez accepted a job at I.M. Pei & Partners in Dallas.
Ibanez spent four years working on his project — Energy Plaza, a 49-story triangular shaped office building in downtown Dallas. Ibanez said he loves to present his architectural designs by drawings versus 3-D modeling.
“Drawings give you ambiguity, which is something a computer can’t give you,” he said. “It requires the client to think and use their imagination when it comes to your designs. With 3-D models, there’s no thinking required because you see everything clearly.”
Ibanez is also a contributing editor for Texas Architect magazine and has been a guest speaker for the Dallas Architecture Forum and the Texas Society of Architects convention.
In 2006, he was awarded the Charles R. Adams Award for Design Excellence by the Fort Worth Chapter of the American Institute of Architects in recognition of his career accomplishments.
Ibanez is currently a member of the Fort Worth Public Art Commission and has taught at Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Arlington.
