Street Life to Sky Life: Object vs. Experience in Modern Architecture
April 2006
Frank Wolden was born in North Dakota but at age five, he moved with his family to Modesto, CA. In 1970 Frank attended San Diego State and earned his bachelor and master’s degrees in Fine Arts from SDSU. He worked in architecture firms while a student and focused his attention on urban design. He interned with the city of San Diego on an urban planning project with Max Schmidt and Mike Stepner, City Planners at that time. Stepner described Wolden as an “urban visionary”.
Frank’s first job was with the Centre City Development Corporation, newly created in 1977. It was the planning and development agency for Downtown San Diego. In 1982 Wolden was hired by Jerde Partnership International to work on Horton Plaza. It was the beginning of change for Downtown San Diego. After working for Jerde for five years, Wolden started City Design, a design and consulting firm. City Design worked on Bridgeworks Hilton in the Gaslamp Quarter, the Koll Center and the Cable Building (Hillcrest).
In 1996 City Design merged with Carrier Johnson and Wolden has been concentrating on the creative design aspect since then. He specifically focuses on mixed-use projects such as the Renaissance, Treo (two successful downtown mixed-use projects). He is most “interested in the relationships of buildings and how they fit together to form environments”.
Wolden is living in Mission Hills with his wife in a house he designed. He has twin daughters, now “out of the nest”. His life revolves around family, friends, sports–and, of course, the built environment.