Joel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (with majors in studio art, English literature and Norwegian language) from St. Olaf College, in Northfield Minnesota. His love for the mountains and open spaces of New Mexico brought him to Santa Fe in 1990.
Joel wished to continue his education and study architecture but was hampered by school debt. Undeterred, Joel opted for a practical hands-on training and began working in construction. An interest in building design led Joel to work on many phases of construction including: framing, tile setting, landscaping, plastering, electrical, and plumbing.
In 1995 Joel went to work for a plumbing and electrical contractor and soon earned a journeyman plumber/gasfitter license.
In 2000 Joel obtained his MM-98 mechanical contractor’s license and formed Joel Olson Plumbing and Heating LLC. Joel’s experience with service and installation in the field revealed a tendency by owners to prioritize up-front lower costs over quality, efficiency and longevity, so Joel focused his business on providing better efficiency and greater serviceability in his heating and plumbing systems.
In 2005 Joel became a partner at Cedar Mountain Solar - a solar thermal design and installation company. As project manager at CMS, Joel managed the installation of solar heating systems all over northern and central New Mexico. The high cost and complexity of these renewable energy systems led Joel’s desire to address the building design - siting, orientation and envelope construction - to implement passive systems which minimize the building’s energy appetite.
Joel, in 2008, began work at the Santa Fe architecture firm of Lloyd and Associates, as a construction administrator. The recession led Joel, in 2009, to work as a licensed qualifying party for Hank Frank Plumbing and Heating Ltd Co., and in 2012 for Medlin Mechanical.
In 2016 Joel realized a long-held dream and began studies for a Master of Architecture degree at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning.
CV available upon request.
