Steve Mielke

Steve begins every project by looking through the eyes of the space's future users—what would it be like to walk through it, to hang artwork, attend a performance, or teach a class? His ground-level point-of-view informs the vision that carries projects successfully from the initial design phases through construction.

For this Sioux Falls, SD native, the eye-opening impact of his first trip to New York City is still fresh in his mind. A thick binder of elaborate skateboard designs he created as a teenager highlights the fact that design has always been a part of his life. Searching for new approaches, weighing options, and exploring how components fit together has carried him through degrees in architecture from the University of Nebraska into today.

The dynamic urban environment that first inspired Steve continues to inform his work with cultural institutions within an urban context as well as suburban campuses. Collaborating with complex user groups and large consulting teams, he leverages each group's experience to enhance the next project, always looking to reach the widest audience, achieve the greatest level of sustainability, and build the best buildings possible.