Benjamin Wey, Architect
"I call architecture frozen music."
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
As an architect, Benjamin Wey is inspired by structures in the same way some people are inspired by music, poetry, or art. They speak volumes to him about the laws of Science and how they can be seemingly defied, merely by bending, twisting, or changing the angles and lines of a building or bridge. He is continually fascinated and astounded by the marvels of Civil Engineering, and his enthusiasm for the great masters of decades gone by, like Philip Johnson, and upcoming shinning stars, like Thom Mayne, has inspired him to travel to thousands of different destinations worldwide, paying homage to their remarkable feats of design. An enormously talented designer himself, Benjamin Wey is in good company as the frequent participant in a number of national and international architect conventions and events; in addition, he is an active member of the American Institute of Architects, and he has even been featured as a speaker at some events in California.
Benjamin Wey’s interest in architecture began with construction. In 1978, when he was still in middle school, a local business burned down and was in the process of rebuilding when his school started back up for the fall. He passed by the building everyday on his route, and as he watched the building evolve from a pile of rubble into a brand new office building, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, he knew construction was what he wanted to do for a living. From that moment on, the construction process fascinated Benjamin Wey, and he could not gather enough information from books or television to quench his thirst for knowledge. As soon as he entered high school, Benjamin Wey, with the help of his campus’ career center, immediately applied for apprenticeships at all of the local construction firms. Although most firms hesitated hiring him because of the liabilities involved in hiring a teenager, Benjamin Wey was always able to effectively pitch his skills and the cost benefits to the companies well enough to convince them to take him on for at least a few months internship, and by working part-time in the winters and full-time in the summers was how he was able to pay for his college tuition.
After his graduation from high school, the always hardworking Benjamin Wey was accepted to a number of well-respected universities, and after careful consideration, he chose to remain in his home state and attend one of California’s oldest and most influential universities. He began his college career in 1984 and completed his Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering in record time, while working as a construction supervisor for a northern California construction company. In 1988, Benjamin Wey was simultaneously made the assistant foreman to a thriving construction company and accepted to his school’s Master’s in Architecture program. Upon completing his second degree, he spent the next decade working for a number of different construction companies as a consultant and foreman, gaining invaluable experience for when he would one day form his own company.
Benjamin Wey worked a short stint as an architect for a San Francisco Bay Area design corporation, where his combined construction and design skills were in high demand. He was frequently sent to handle issues at the firm’s Los Angeles-based office, and on one particular work-related trip in 2001, Wey unwittingly met his future father-in-law, a partner in Donofrio Construction. His would-be father-in-law was so impressed with Benjamin Wey’s evident talent and expertise, he offered Wey a position as a Construction Foreman on the spot. After weighing his options, Benjamin Wey decided to make the move to southern California and soon after met and married Lorraine, a fellow architect and postmodern enthusiast. Benjamin Wey worked tirelessly for Donofrio Construction for three years, and in 2005, he decided he was finally ready to break out on his own.
In 2005, Benjamin Wey made a life changing decision to form his own construction consulting company, and for the past three years, he has been the sole proprietor, chief architect, and primary construction consultant of A1 Construction Consulting. Founding and managing his own firm has been a dream of Benjamin Wey’s since he witnessed his first building’s materialization in middle school, and his love for design and architecture has only increased over the years. By working for a myriad of different construction and architect companies, Benjamin Wey was able to familiarize himself with all forms of commercial and residential design, building, and zoning laws in California and several other states, and today, he brings all of that experience and expertise to his consulting firm. His only hope for the future is to continue growing his business and increasing his company’s sphere of influence by branching out to other areas of the country and perhaps one day around the world.