Architecture One Architectural Collection

Architecture One was founded in 1970 in Tucson by John Riggs, John Kulseth, and Phil Dinsmore, all University of Arizona College of Architecture graduates. The firm operated for over 25 years, and at its peak was one of the largest architectural firms in the state of Arizona, with over 99 employees, and offices in both Tucson and Phoenix. In its 25-year lifespan, it was involved in over 2500 projects and received numerous design awards, including a Business Enterprise award and a Nation Blue Chip Enterprise Award.

Drawings donated to Special Collections by the Arizona Architectural Foundation consist of approximately 25 projects, totaling approximately 250-300 sheets of architectural drawings. Included are plans for private homes (Skyline Country Club estates), drawings for large businesses (Jim Click Ford, IBM, the Williams addition), drawings for schools (Catalina High School, Doolen Middle School, Drexel Elementary School) and variety of other projects, both large and small. Prominent among these are the drawings for the award-winning La Placita Theater in downtown Tucson.

These drawings complement Special Collections’ archive of Architecture One
office files as well as the works of Mr. John Riggs, who went on to develop his
own private practice in Tucson after the firm closed.