Richard Klaja

Project Architect
RA

Richard Klaja

Project Architect
RA

Richard discovered his love of houses early on through the countless drawings and Lego models he made while growing up in San Antonio, TX. After earning his Bachelor’s in Architecture from Texas Tech University, he spent a semester studying monumental land art throughout the Southwest desert with the Land Arts of the American West program. He went on to earn his Master’s in Architecture from UC Berkeley.

After grad school, Richard gained experience designing in the residential field while earning his architecture license. Here at WDA, he continues to hone his skills as a Project Architect in our Residential practice. Richard enjoys designing spaces that are thoughtful, efficient and sustainable. He is particularly interested in the layer of intimacy and fine-tuning of the human scale that exists in spaces for living. For Richard, individual lifestyle and functional goals give each project a distinct personality, making finding the right design solution is an exciting process.

Outside of work, you can find him running, cooking, baking, exploring the city, petting dogs that don’t belong to him, and working on a green thumb by adding plants to his life, with caution.

What is one of your favorite design-focused places?
Car interiors. I love cars and driving. Automotive design is really interesting from a human-centered design perspective.
What is one of your favorite works of design?
Donald Judd’s 100 untitled works in mill aluminum in Marfa, TX. It’s a beautiful work of art that gets its life from the natural surroundings. An amazing space to be in.