Photo by Scott Amundson
Last year, Rehkamp Larson Architects in Minneapolis considered how to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The firm usually holds an open house every year for clients and collaborators, but that was unfeasible considering the COVID-19 pandemic. “So, we thought about other options and decided to find a way to give back and help young architects,” says partner Mark Larson.
The firm decided to create an endowed scholarship at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design. “Mark and I met at the University of Minnesota while attending the College of Design,” explains partner Jean Rehkamp Larson. “The education provided the foundation for our success. [The scholarship] is simply our way of giving back after 20 years in business.”
Every year, the College of Design will allocate funds that will help a young architecture student succeed. “We feel so fortunate to have received our education at the School of Design,” says Larson.” “We use that schooling every day. The skills we learned are the skills we use to run the firm. We’re grateful for that.”
The firm hires many students and graduates from the University of Minnesota. “We wanted to support the school,” Larson adds. “It’s giving back with no strings attached. That was really the goal of the scholarship.”
