Benjamin Olsen is a broadminded designer working across architectural design, construction methodology, urban research, and public policy to secure a prosperous housing future for everyone. He was named one of Minneapolis-Saint Paul Magazine's "Designers to Watch" in 2026.

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He is a principal at CityDeskStudio where he leads the firm's infill housing practice, managing direct-to-homeowner, direct-to-developer, and direct-to-builder projects in both the custom and attainable housing sectors. From 2022-2026 he led the design division at Lagom Modular, directing the predevelopment and design efforts for 30 single family attainable homes.  Prior to that, he co-founded Office Hughes Olsen whose work won AIA-Minnesota's 2022 Affordable Housing Design Award and 2023 Honor Award in Design for Economy.  He has worked on award-winning projects at Lazor/Office, David M Schwarz Associates, and HGA Architects & Engineers.

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Benjamin holds a Master of Architecture from Yale School of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College. He teaches the courses "Scene Design for the Stage," "Typological Houses," and "The American Starter Home" at the University of Minnesota College of Design.

 

He freelances as a stage designer with theater and opera companies around the country.