People / Senior Principals

WALLY COOPER took a leap of faith 33 years ago when he founded CRSA in a room over a bicycle shop. The office was $30 a month, and he worried about how he would pay the rent. Wally has guided the firm from those humble beginnings to its current well-established, well-respected status in the community. He's a career specialist in historic preservation, restoration, and compatible infill architecture, and within the last decade he has also specialized in new community libraries and higher education facilities. Wally's industry, integrity, and wisdom perpetually shape the culture of CRSA.

ALLEN ROBERTS began working with Wally Cooper in 1976, saying he would have practiced architecture for free if he had to. This passion fueled his extensive work in historic preservation, including over 200 projects listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Allen has also designed new facilities specializing in architecturally compatible buildings in historic environments. A Renaissance man, Allen is a published author of scholarly books and articles, an accomplished painter, and an architect whose projects include the Utah State Capitol Building Restoration Master Plan, the Utah State Archives Building and the Snow College Library.

JIM NIELSON has always been a detail guy capable of big-picture thinking. An English major who went to work as a policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Education, Jim eventually gave up his political career to pursue his passion for architecture. Jim joined CRSA in 2004, and was made a principal in 2007. The Treasurer of CRSA, he oversees business administration and production. He also led some of CRSA's most exciting and demanding projects, including the Sutton Geology and Geophysics Building at the University of Utah, and the UVSC Digital Learning Center.

FRAN PRUYN stumbled into the architecture business over twenty years ago on her way to a career in the theatre. She found that she could utilize her theatrical auditioning, playwriting, and schmoozing skills effectively doing presentations, writing proposals, and, well, schmoozing. In the A/E industry since 1983, Fran came to CRSA in 2002, and was made a principal in 2008. As the nexus of the firm's marketing efforts, Fran concentrates on finding work, encouraging others to find work, branding the firm, and writing the occasional catchy phrase. She finds the architectural industry sufficiently dramatic.

KATHY WHEADON is a double threat. Her ability with the written and spoken word makes her a high-demand programmer. She is also a ferocious designer. She is currently immersed in both a Master Plan for Salt Lake Community College's Herriman Campus, and the design of the BYU-Idaho Agriculture Building. Kathy came to CRSA in 2001 and was made a principal in 2008. Kathy's 5-year stint as the Development Director of the University of Utah's College of Architecture makes her particularly effective when working with clients who need to fundraise.