Ron Stelmarski

FAIA, LEED AP
Principal, Design Director, Dallas

Ron Stelmarski launched his architectural career at Perkins&Will’s Chicago studio, where he designed museums, showrooms, and a firm monograph—early work that revealed his gift for combining narrative clarity with spatial innovation. His global portfolio, including projects in China and the Middle East, deepened his understanding of cultural context and architecture’s power to bridge global and local identities.

Since becoming design director of the Dallas studio in 2011, Ron has helped shape the city’s architectural landscape, forging strong community ties and advocating for inclusive, expressive design. His work is known for its bold conceptual vision, structural clarity, and ability to create meaningful human experiences. As noted by Dallas Morning News architecture critic Mark Lamster, “nobody has done more to shape the city’s built environment this century.”

Ron’s recent projects include the Dallas Convention Center, Mulva Hall at the UT Austin McCombs School of Business, the Pittman Hotel, and the Baylor Scott & White Administrative Center. He holds degrees from Yale and the University of Cincinnati, and his time assisting historian Vincent Scully at Yale continues to inform his thoughtful, rigorous approach to design.

  • This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Say hello to Ron
Learn more about Stelmarski's life, work, and creative philosophy.
Read More
Scuola Grande della Misericordia, Venice, Italy
Photo credit: Mattia Finotto
Connecting Communities

Ron was invited to speak at THE PLATFORM Architecture Festival in conjunction with the 2023 Venice Biennale. The exhibition explored projects that focus on “an action, a desire for a rediscovered sense of being together.”

Ron presented on the Singing Hills Recreation Center, a first-of-its-kind, multi-generational facility in a historically underserved neighborhood in Dallas. The design assembles landscape, bike trials, and passenger train line into a piece of meaningful social infrastructure. A sense of place is formed by the intersection of recreation, community, education, and commuting.

“There are no shortcuts to success. You have to listen, engage, put in the work, and deliver. You have to bring a sense of optimism to the spaces—we're creating the future and that’s exciting.”
A Key Inspiration

A key inspiration for Ron was his grandfather, a woodworker who helped ingrain the ideas of “making” and working with your hands.

Fun Fact

Ron and his wife Lisa were married at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Unity Temple in Oak Park, Illinois. The quality of light and space was the perfect setting, combining Ron’s passion for design and the city where Lisa grew up.

Ron's Featured Work

Fire Station 27
Work
Fire Station 27
Dallas, Texas
The Richards Group
Work
The Richards Group
Dallas, Texas
Wichita State University Experiential Engineering Building WSU Experiential Engineering Thumbnail
Work
Wichita State University Experiential Engineering Building
Wichita, Kansas
The Epic TheEpicDeepEllum
Work
The Epic
Dallas, Texas
Abilene Christian University Onstead Science Center and Halbert-Walling Research Center Halbert Walling Exteriors
Work
Abilene Christian University Onstead Science Center and Halbert-Walling Research Center
Abilene, Texas
Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy and Research at The Star Exterior dusk shot
Work
Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy and Research at The Star
Frisco, Texas
Pulaski Technical College Fine and Performing Arts and Humanities Center Exterior building shot
Work
Pulaski Technical College Fine and Performing Arts and Humanities Center
North Little Rock, Arkansas
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
Work
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
New York, New York
Baylor Scott & White Health Administrative Center
Work
Baylor Scott & White Health Administrative Center
Dallas, Texas
Collin College, Technical Campus
Work
Collin College, Technical Campus
Allen, Texas
High Speed Rail
Work
High Speed Rail
Dallas - Brazos Valley - Houston, Texas
Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation American Cancer Society, Hope Lodge
Work
Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation American Cancer Society, Hope Lodge
Houston, Texas
The Pittman Hotel
Work
The Pittman Hotel
Dallas, Texas
Singing Hills Recreation Center
Work
Singing Hills Recreation Center
Dallas, Texas
Eastside Recreation Center El Paso Eastside Recreation Center
Work
Eastside Recreation Center
El Paso, Texas
Austin Community College Highland Campus, Phase II
Work
Austin Community College Highland Campus, Phase II
Austin, Texas
University of Oklahoma Medical Center Expansion
Work
University of Oklahoma Medical Center Expansion
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Lubbock City Hall
Work
Lubbock City Hall
Lubbock, Texas
LSU Health Shreveport Center for Medical Education a rendering of the exterior of the center for medical education and wellness
Work
LSU Health Shreveport Center for Medical Education
Shreveport, Louisiana
Princeton Municipal Complex
Work
Princeton Municipal Complex
Princeton, Texas
Querétaro Campus Residence Hall
Work
Querétaro Campus Residence Hall
Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
Mulva Hall, The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin An exterior rendering of the new undergraduate business building
Work
Mulva Hall, The McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird
Work
UT Southwestern Medical Center at RedBird
Dallas, Texas
Back to top