Alumni Spotlight: Bradley Wheeler, B.Arch ‘87

For Bradley Wheeler, B.Arch ’87, some of the most meaningful moments in his career came from opportunities he never expected. 

“You have to be open to opportunities,” Wheeler said. “These opportunities will present themselves to you, and it will be up to you to be open to them.”

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He added: “And when you think you’re at your maximum and exhausted all of your reserves, you can push further than your limit.”

His advice was shaped by a career rooted in architecture while expanding into writing, marketing and architectural photography. It was a journey unplanned, but one that traces back to his time at the University of Arizona.

Over the course of his career, Wheeler has photographed projects ranging from small residential spaces to buildings approaching 2 million square feet. His work has appeared in publications across the United States and internationally, including Italy, where he lived and worked for seven years after graduating from the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture.

Wheeler’s interest in architecture began when he was 12 years old.

He remembers his father taking architectural drafting classes at the local community college and drawing up plans for a house addition.

“My dad was a big influence. He was not an architect, but he was an artist at heart and very creative,” Wheeler said. “I would see him bring home beautiful watercolor renderings and blueprints and seeing that really got me into architecture.”

Wheeler began his architecture education at what was then the University of Arizona College of Architecture, where he formed relationships with influential faculty and peers he still keeps in touch with nearly 40 years later. 

“Of my time at U of A, I remember our unbelievable professors — Professors Albanese, Medlin, Lockhart, Poster, among others — they were amazing people to learn from as a student,” he said.

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One memory Wheeler shared that he attributes to where his career has landed today was a mock office project. As part of the assignment, they also had to create a marketing package. Of the five-person team working on the project, Wheeler volunteered to take photos for the marketing package.

“I took some photographs and Lauren Cook made a comment along the lines of, ‘Brad, these are really good photos!’ and that kind of sparked something in me,” Wheeler said. “So every time I see her at reunions and events, I always thank her for making that comment.”

Wheeler didn’t start his career in architectural photography right after college. Instead, he traveled abroad and worked in Italy for seven years. Much of the motivation behind moving to Italy came from learning about architectural history in school. 

“I was interested in other languages and cultures and so I was able to get a job working in studios in small towns across the northern part of Italy,” he said. “I learned Italian and that helped me connect with a lot of magazines and publications.” 

Unbeknownst to him at the time, the connections he made with architectural magazines and publications would pay off later in his career. 

While in Italy, he earned his M.Arch II from Syracuse University. He returned to the United States to work for two firms in New York City. It was when he was with Robert Gray Architects, that his work with publications proved useful for the small firm he was working for. 

“I looked around and nobody was doing any sort of marketing, and so I asked Robert Gray if I could do anything and he said ‘yes,’” Wheeler said. “So I joined a professional marketing organization, and it was this opportunity that led me to write articles for local trade publications.” 

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This opportunity led to him getting published in several trade publications in New York City and eventually tapping back into the connections he made in Italy. 

Family obligations brought him back to Los Angeles. But he continued writing and eventually realized he could become the photographer for the projects he was writing about. 

Initially photographing projects to support marketing efforts, Wheeler slowly built both technical expertise and a professional portfolio. He taught himself the complex process of large-format architectural photography using a 4x5 film camera.

The process required patience and precision.

“When my dad and I were loading up the car with the film and equipment, it was like a campaign, man,” Wheeler said. “It was like a moonshot.”

Photographing architecture before the rise of digital photography and drones meant transporting film equipment, setting compositions upside down on the ground glass and waiting for perfect lighting conditions that often required shoots beginning before sunrise.

One of the most important professional relationships in his career came through fellow CAPLA alumnus Rob Paulus. Re-introduced by Professor Larry Medlin, Wheeler photographed several influential Paulus projects, including Barrio Metalico, Ice House Lofts and Indigo Modern. 

Those collaborations helped expand Wheeler’s portfolio and reputation while reinforcing the lasting connections formed through the college.

“All these mosaics in my life kind of fell into place thanks to CAPLA and the people I met along the way,” Wheeler said.

Bradley Wheeler can be found at www.bradleywheelerphoto.com/ and on Instagram @bwheeler_architecture_photo.