The Search for Truth in Architecture

An exclusive exhibition featuring the acclaimed architectural illustrator P. Stevenson “Steve” Oles.

The exhibit, running from October 27-December 31, is inspired by Oles’ award-winning illustration of the soon-to-be-completed veranda at the Scandinavian Living and Cultural Center.

Opening reception to be held Friday, October 27th | 7pm | free with registration

ABOUT OLES

Considered one of the world’s premier architectural illustrators, Paul Stevenson (Steve) Oles FAIA worked as an independent architect, professor, author, and illustrator in the Boston area for over 40 years.

Early in his architectural career he worked at Cambridge Seven Associates and taught architectural drawing at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD), the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Yale University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) from the 1970s until 2004. He served as MIT campus architect from 1969 through 1971 and was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard in 1982. He cofounded the American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI) in 1985 and as an illustrator himself has created a legacy that ranges from hand drawing to digital imagining, with highly nuanced combinations of both.

Oles is celebrated for his collaborations with many renowned architects, most notably I.M. Pei and his iconic Louvre Pyramid design. Oles’ skillful illustration of the Louvre Pyramid played a pivotal role in obtaining approval from the City of Paris, showcasing the transformative power of architectural illustration in bringing visionary projects to life. Drawings of Boston’s Moakley Federal Courthouse, the Washington National Cathedral, and Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial are included in our show.

In addition to teaching, writing, and executing commissioned drawings for other professionals, Oles practiced as an independent architect, winning three regional design competitions in the fields of elderly housing, energy-efficient residential, and bridge design. His rendering of the Scandinavian Living Center received the 2022 Award of Excellence from the ASAI. He is a former recipient of the High Ferriss Memorial Prize, the ASAI’s highest honor.

Oles’ books include Drawing the Future, Architectural Illustration: The Value Delineation Process, Hands: Fifty Photographs by Paul Stephenson Oles, and the just published Santa Fe Vignettes.

“Steve Oles is an architect/artist who perceives the intellectual substance

in the design intent and skillfully, rigorously, and with fidelity investigates

design implications through drawings. He is a valued collaborator in the

search for truth in architecture.”

— I.M. Pei