Benjamin Olsen is a broadminded designer working across architectural design, construction methodology, urban research, and public policy to create the next generation of attainable houses.

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From research-driven inquiries to realized designs our work strives for simplicity, economy, and beauty. We approach both conceptualization and construction with rigor and curiosity.  Issues of local and global significance, investigated through architectural analysis, inform our practices and partnerships. Our project Infill House, designed with Ryan Hughes, won AIA-MN’s 2022 Affordable Housing Design Award and is a model for densifying existing neighborhoods in progressive zoning districts across the state of Minnesota. AIA-MN recognized Infill House with a Commendation in Design for Economy in 2023.

 

He is also a partner and Design Manager at Lagom Modular, a Duluth-based general contracting company that builds attainable single family infill developments in Greater Minnesota. Lagom Modular delivers compact modern homes via hybrid offsite-onsite prefabrication methods including panelization, kit-building, and site-built construction.

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Benjamin holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Olaf College and a Master of Architecture from Yale School of Architecture. He teaches courses about "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.