We have a saying in the office – never underestimate Ryan’s resourcefulness! Born and raised in Houston, Ryan has gathered experiences from coast to coast. Spending his college years in the northeast, he began his schooling studying ceramics at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. From there, his constant curiosity led him to the Pacific Northwest where he studied natural homebuilding and strawbale construction in Cottage Grove, Oregon. Ryan returned to Houston for a time where his interest in historic preservation began to take root in earnest.
Landing in Austin in 2017, Ryan quickly immersed himself in the city’s preservation community as a volunteer for Preservation Austin. He went to work as a property manager for Barkley Houses, a company whose inventory is made up of vintage and historic homes that maintain their “period” characteristics, including original tile, hardware, and interior woodwork.
In addition, he lived in and rehabilitated the last standing building from the Longhorn Lodge, a 1938 motor court on Guadalupe Street. He further solidified his footprint in Austin by opening Alleyway Antiques in the basement of the small structure. A long-term goal of working for an architecture firm and a chance meeting with Tere landed him at O’Connell Architecture, where he manages and curates our architectural building materials shop, Save the Good Stuff. His eye for beauty and design as well as his willingness to roll up his sleeves and literally salvage material from soon-to-be-demolished sites makes him a true asset to the firm.
Ryan is a current board member of Preservation Austin. An avid gardener and fastidious piddler, you will find him on the weekends making improvements to his mid-century modern home and driving the many streets of Austin, uncovering hidden architectural gems and their stories.
