Get To Know High Plains Architects

Ed Gulick

02/06/19
by High Plains Architects

Welcome to the first in our new “Get To Know High Plains Architects” series of blog posts. Each post will profile a team member and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the people behind the architecture.

“Every hour working here gets me closer to the kind of world I want to live in.” -Ed Gulick

Associate Principal Ed Gulick is a licensed architect and LEED® Accredited Professional with a specialty credential in Building Design & Construction. He received his Master of Architecture from Yale University and his Bachelor of Arts from Pomona College. In 2010, and Ed was a recipient of the Billings 40 Under 40 Award.

Ed brings extensive green building experience to High Plains Architects, having worked with some of the foremost green building professionals in the country. But what set Ed on the road to becoming an architect in the first place?

In short, a psychology course in college was the catalyst that put Ed on a career path that would ultimately have him joining the High Plains Architects team. Having nurtured a love for drawing, history and geography, he initially thought he’d teach history in some capacity. However, after a psychology course experiment that involved comparing the well-being of students in different dormitories, Ed realized he wanted to design spaces that have positive impacts on the people inhabiting them and on the environment.

Once he decided to get a graduate degree in architecture, Ed knew just where he wanted to practice - at High Plains Architects. Ed had met HPA President, Randy Hafer, well before starting architecture school when Randy gave a talk on a “bio-regional approach to architecture” that strongly resonated with him. The values that High Plains Architects is founded on aligned with Ed’s desire to build high-performance buildings.

Another aspect of working at High Plains Architects that Ed enjoys the most is the compelling development work that Randy generates. Randy creates interesting projects by pulling together stakeholders interested in having a positive impact in the region instead of just passively waiting for clients to walk through the door. Ed found Randy’s proactive approach very attractive and unique compared to what other firms that he considered joining were doing. Simply put, High Plains Architects’ unique approach and values is what brought Ed back to his hometown of Billings.

So how does Ed spend his time when he’s not working? He spends much of his time doing community service, participating in conservation organizations such as the Northern Plains Resource Council. He also enjoys doing home improvement work on a 1920s Craftsman home that he owns and reading books on World War II. And when he travels, he enjoys analyzing great, beloved places and spaces to figure out what makes them crackle with life.