WASA/Studio A Firm History

WASA/Studio A has a 121 year long history, starting with Reed & Stem in 1889. Below is a timeline of the evolution of the firm.

Reed & Stem, 1889 - 1923
Gilded Age architects and engineers leave St. Paul, Minnesota, where they designed civic structures and mansions for the wealthy. and relocate to New York City upon winning the competition to design Grand Central Terminal. Read More.

Fellheimer & Wagner, 1923 - 1961
Following the passing of Charles Reed and Allen Stem, Art Deco-era architects and engineers win the AIA Gold Medal for Cincinnati Union Terminal, while treading a path towards Modernism with the hiring of Roland Wank - who later became the chief architect for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) - as chief Designer. Read More.

Wank Adams Slavin Associates, 1961 - 1986
Reflecting Roland Wank's accession to partnership, modernist architects and engineers continue to produce major infrastructure projects, but also design significant projects for higher education and corporate parks. Preservation as a separate discipline is added in 1979. Read More.

WASA, 1986 - 2005
Architects and engineers earn a reputation as a "nuts and bolts" firm with great technical expertise.

WASA/Studio A, 2005 - present
Firm re-embraces design with the addition of architectural studio, Studio A, and employs sustainable design and master planning as a means of complementing technical expertise and preservation.