OPN Associate Principal Tate Walker elevated to College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects
OPN Architects is thrilled to announce that Taylor (Tate) Walker has been elevated to The College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Tate is an Associate Principal in OPN’s Minneapolis studio.
Tate has devoted his career to transforming the practice of architecture through practical tools, knowledge sharing, and advocacy. His career embodies OPN’s commitment to embracing our responsibility to care for each other and our planet through extraordinary design and a boundary-free practice.
Tate is among 93 architects elevated to Fellow, the highest AIA membership honor, this year for their significant contributions to the profession of architecture. The newly elevated members of the 2025 College of Fellows will be honored at the AIA Awards Gala in June in Boston.
Tate Walker, FAIA, LEED Fellow, WELL AP, believes that lasting change is accomplished by clearly defining where we are, charting an achievable path to where we need to go, and working in close collaboration with peers to achieve incremental steps. Over his 20+ years as an architect, Tate has been an advocate for architecture that demonstrates how both beauty and performance can be achieved with modest means and a determined vision.
His projects include the national award-winning LEED Platinum Madison Fire Station No. 14, AIA Honor award-winning Marion Fire Station No. 1, LEED Gold Krause Gateway Center, and Net Zero Ellis Golf Course Clubhouse. He was elevated to LEED Fellow in 2015.
“It is my great honor to congratulate my long-time colleagues and friend, Tate Walker, on his elevation into The College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. Tate exemplifies the values of the AIA. In his development of tools that break down barriers to the implementation of sustainability practices during design, Tate has always sought to intertwine design and performance.”
– Danielle Hermann, AIA, LEED AP
Tate has dedicated the last decade to developing processes and tools for architects to reframe the value that architects bring beyond the buildings and spaces we make. Tate has played an instrumental role in authoring and democratizing frameworks and tools that are rooted in his own real-world experience and have redefined good design. He co-authored the AIA’s COTE Toolkit which evolved into the Framework for Design Excellence, 2030’s Design Data eXchange (DDx), and USGBC’s LEED v4. These tools not only reframe the vision of what is possible but demonstrate how to achieve it consistently and cost effectively.
Tate also shares his knowledge extensively. He has presented at the AIA National Conference, USGBC’s Greenbuild, and the Living Future Conference as well as to more than 14 AIA Chapters and 5 knowledge Communities. He has also worked with clients like the City of Madison and the State of Wisconsin to integrate the Framework for Design Excellence into their departmental guidelines for project development creating a lasting impact in these areas and providing an example for other governments to follow.
Tate is an exemplary leader at OPN. He was elevated to Associate Principal in 2022 and founded our Minneapolis studio that same year. As our firm’s inaugural Director of Sustainability, Tate co-led OPN’s development of an integrated design excellence program that elevates performance as a critical component of the process. He also advocated for our adoption of the 2030 Commitment. Tate has diligently and holistically raised the bar for performance-based design at OPN.