Skirkanich Hall, University of Pennsylvania
with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners
Skirkanich Hall is the gateway to Penn’s School of Engineering, connecting historic neighboring buildings by a dynamic interior central atrium and a central garden courtyard that provide intimate places to gather.
A custom hand-glazed ceramic brick clads the exterior, its luminous green hue echoing campus ivy. Etched glass panels and angled shingled windows bring diffused light into the labs. Inside, vibrant yellow tile animates the atrium and central stair, while cast-in-place concrete is exposed to reveal the durable body of the building.
Evan Ripley was deeply instrumental in the successful completion of Skirkanich Hall, he was involved from start to finish, marking his first project with TWBTA. As a key member of the design team, Evan helped shape the building’s distinctive identity. He contributed to developing the building’s innovative features and material expression ensuring that the architecture successfully blended technical precision with inviting, connective spaces.
Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University
with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners
The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University is a state-of-the-art facility for interdisciplinary research on sustainable energy. As lead design Architect with TWBTA, Evan Ripley led the project from concept to completion, coordinating the complex program and integrating its advanced systems. He worked with the University to develop and refine the program ensuring the building responded to their functional needs while embodying their broader mission and goals. He worked with the construction team to oversee the execution of details and adherence to rigorous quality standards.
Designed to minimize its environmental footprint, the Center weaves together laboratories, classrooms, offices, and a conference center around sunken gardens that bring light into below-grade spaces. Custom felt tapestries and recycled-content colorful ceramic tiles enliven the interiors. A hand-formed grey brick connects the building to the campus fabric and gives it a distinct identity. The architecture embodies both the Center’s technical ambitions and Princeton’s campus character.
Obama Presidential Center
with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners
The Obama Presidential Center will be a resource for collective civic engagement in Chicago’s South Side. Past Presidential libraries have often emphasized story-telling, enshrining past achievements, while the Obama Presidential Center will extend its reach as a place for story-making.
The Center is a campus integrated within a park landscape comprised of a museum, forum, and library. These are organized around a civic plaza, and each accessible above and linked below grade.
Evan Ripley has led the project for TWBTA from its earliest stages, running the international invited design competition that awarded the commission and guiding the project through nearly a decade of design and construction. As the design team leader, Evan has unified architecture, landscape, and program, translating the Owner’s needs into a project that embodies the Obama Presidency’s symbolism and serves as a catalyst for local and global dialogue.
Fondation Beyeler Competition
University of Chicago Logan Arts Center Competition
with Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects | Partners
The Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago is a multidisciplinary arts center bringing together theater, music, visual arts, and film under one roof. Designed to foster collaboration across artistic disciplines, the building features a distinctive tower, flexible performance spaces, studios, and galleries, all organized around shared public areas.
The building is clad in warm, variegated Missouri limestone, cut into long bars and laid as brick—referencing campus traditions and local landmarks. Inside, natural light, custom ceramic tile insets, and graphic felt panels enrich a tactile environment designed for creative exploration.
Evan Ripley led the design competition that secured the commission for TWBTA and continued to play a key role in shaping the project, helping to guide the vision for a building that supports creative experimentation while anchoring the university’s arts community.