Browse Interviews

Don Hisaka, the son of Japanese immigrants, grew up on a California farm before leaving to study architecture at Berkeley and Harvard. Arriving in Cleveland in the early 1960s, he eventually started his own architecture firm, designing such buildings as Cleveland State University's University Center and the glass atrium in Thwing Hall on the Case Western Reserve University Campus. In this 2007 interview, conducted over the telephone, Hisaka describes his recollections of architecture and design…

William Blunden arrived in Cleveland in the mid 1960s, working for architects Dalton & Dalton, as well as Don Hisaka, before starting his own firm. In this 2006 interview, Blunden discusses the development and deterioration of Cleveland's Euclid Avenue and speaks more broadly on how he believes Cleveland can remain a viable city while dealing with the loss of population and business. Blunden stresses the need for strong leadership and creative ideas in carrying out new development plans that…