From decades of work with school districts across Colorado, Greg Cromer, AIA, education practice leader at Wold Architects & Engineers, has seen how education design evolves alongside the communities it serves.
While tools and priorities have evolved, one thing remains consistent: every project begins with a story. By listening to the people who know their communities best, Greg helps transform shared aspirations into spaces that foster connection, support learning and create lasting impact.
Learn more about what inspires Greg’s education design approach in our latest Focal Point Q&A below.
From new construction during periods of growth to today’s focus on modernization, declining enrollment and reinvestment, Greg has partnered with public and independent schools to create spaces that support changing needs. The greatest takeaway is understanding what matters most to each client and how those priorities shape the story behind a project. Educators, students, administrators and community members all play an important role in bringing that vision to life.
Greg’s design process begins with listening. Understanding a district’s priorities, school traditions and educational aspirations allows the team to uncover what matters most and create solutions that support those initiatives. To him, the best school designs emerge through a process of exploration and connect the client's visual and emotional needs to the potential.
“Our role is to facilitate meaningful conversations, helping advisory and design committees imagine what is possible and explore what they can create with the opportunity before them,” shared Greg.
Through that process, Greg developed an appreciation for balancing vision with reality. When a school reflects the values and identity of those it serves, it becomes more than a building; it becomes a place where connections and lasting memories are created. The goal is not simply to design a building, but to transform district aspirations into environments that support learning, inspire students and serve their communities for years to come.
When reflecting on meaningful moments in his career, ribbon-cutting events immediately come to mind. After years of planning and design, seeing students, educators and community members experience a new space for the first time is incredibly rewarding and a powerful reminder of the collective effort behind the work.
"It's one of those moments where you pause and reflect on the collective effort that made it possible. When we help a district turn its vision into reality, the impact extends beyond the building itself. It fosters pride, strengthens trust, supports learning and creates lasting value for the entire community."
For Greg, the most impactful projects are those that create new opportunities for student engagement. Early in his career, he realized that while architects may not teach students, they help influence the environments where learning, collaboration and discovery take place. That perspective has guided his work ever since.
Greg believes one of the biggest misconceptions about school design is underestimating its influence on student success.
"Engagement creates connection," Greg said. "When students feel connected, their learning becomes more personal, supported not just by seat time but by advocates and meaningful relationships."
Connection extends beyond students. When schools welcome families and the broader community, they become hubs of engagement, pride and investment. These successful projects begin with districts establishing a clear, ambitious vision, not only for the building itself, but for the full campus environment. Too often, projects are funded and handed off to be executed. Aspirational projects elevate the entire process.
"When the bar is set by the client in an aspirational way, the design team is challenged to rise to it and often exceed it," Greg said. "Those projects push us to think beyond the status quo, explore possibilities uncovered through engagement and build enthusiasm around both the big vision and the smaller opportunities embedded within it."
The best advice Greg ever received came from a mentor who balanced high expectations with a grounded perspective on design and practice. One lesson has stayed with him throughout his career: keep it simple.
"When I found myself trying to respond to too many influences at once, he would pull me back with a steady 'keep it simple' mindset," Greg said. "It wasn't about oversimplifying the work. It was about finding clarity in the middle of complexity and trusting that strong ideas don't need to be overworked to be effective."
The same mentor made Greg rethink success. He once shared that designing two or three great high schools would be a meaningful accomplishment. Having now worked on 10, Greg sees the lesson was never about the number of projects; it was about approaching each one with purpose, staying present and letting the quality of the work naturally lead to what comes next. He also learned that careers are built through relationships, trust and a commitment to helping others grow, not individual accomplishments.
“Much of the aspirational energy in my career has come from witnessing strong designers in action, recognizing potential and encouraging others to build on it."
For Greg, mentorship happens in the day-to-day work, including during design reviews, early conversations and the decisions that mold how teams think, not just what they produce.
"A big part of mentorship is making my thinking visible," Greg said. "I love a whiteboard."
Whether explaining a design decision or working through a challenge, Greg focuses on giving others a framework they can carry forward, not just an answer. Over time, mentorship has become about refining judgment, sharing experience and raising the standard for what generates great design. The pursuit of excellence is a consistent theme throughout Greg’s career, and mentorship is one way he helps share and elevate that standard with the next generation of designers.
Looking ahead, Greg is energized by the direction of education design in Colorado, not because of the projects themselves, but because of the people leading them. Across the state, district leaders are approaching planning with greater clarity of purpose, focusing on outcomes for students rather than facilities alone.
"What excites me most is the quality of the clients and the clarity of their intent," Greg said. "The conversation starts with impact, not just facilities."
Whether supporting new construction, modernization or campus improvements, Greg sees opportunity in every project. Even as school leaders navigate fluctuating enrollment trends, the goal is still to positively influence student success through thoughtful, intentional environments. Relationships help further those goals.
"Relationships still matter most," he said. "Trust, continuity and shared purpose often outweigh scale alone."
To learn more about Greg, his experience and insights, visit here. Our Focal Point series provides a behind-the-scenes look at the talented team members who bring our work to life.
