As if being senior principal at a well-known architectural firm weren’t distinctive enough, John Cryer also personifies his firm’s vision of being an influential champion for design that makes lives better. His support of ongoing revitalization in downtown Houston, involvement in community organizations and leadership on many of Page’s major urban projects have contributed to a thriving economic district that has become a place frequently lauded by national, top tier media as a place to live and work.
John’s confidence in the downtown area’s potential to again be the hub for Houston’s corporate community led him to relocate Page’s offices there years before other large design firms moved to the central business district. The firm’s innovative design in a seven-story commercial atrium was subsequently featured in The Tree of Life, a Terence Malick film starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, and has even served as a performance space. He also moved his family to one of the first renovated residential lofts downtown before amenities such as grocery stores were available.
Professionally, his career has been devoted to developing and managing specialized teams for complex and unique architectural projects across the U.S. and around the world, first with CRSS (formerly Caudill Rowlett Scott) and, for the past 20 years, at Page. During his many years as a principal, John methodically transformed the firm through recruitment and specialization.
Thanks to his efforts, Page is widely known today for excellence in both architecture and engineering. He has also been the catalyst for the creation of specialized services within the firm, from the Strategic Consulting Group to the FEMA Business Continuity Team, formed to address mitigation of, and protection from, storm related damages to facilities. As John told the Houston Business Journal, “We continue to grow and be recognized regionally and internationally for our design capabilities.”
The firm has benefited from having a key member of its leadership team who seems to be equally right and left brained. He manages the technical aspects of major projects while displaying creativity that generates innovative team-based design. John has employed his exceptional management skills to ensure the firm is equally as strong in its shared service functions such as Finance, Human Resources, IT, etc. as in its design and engineering studios. His sharp acumen also has resulted in business practices that significantly and positively impact ongoing relationships with the firm’s clients.
John’s extensive resume includes work around the world in major healthcare, academic, high tech, government, urban housing and corporate projects such as the HIMA Plaza One Medical Office Building in Puerto Rico, the Tulane University hurricane damage assessment, alignment and hazard mitigation plan (HMP) in New Orleans, the Presidential Library Humanism Building and Museum in Equatorial Guinea, the Kempinski Gold Coast luxury hotel in Ghana and the ARAMCO corporate headquarters and training center in Saudi Arabia.
John joined Caudill Rowlett Scott, which became CRSS, following his graduation from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. There, he managed projects such as the Chrysler Technology Center, 3M Electronics Group and the Superconducting Super Collider. In 1990, in recognition of his leadership abilities, he was promoted to Executive Vice President and Managing Principal of CRSS Architects. John also created the CRSS Discovery Center, which focused on the advancement of science and research through the development of new models for workplace environments.
John is an avid sailor who is married to an airplane pilot and they often travel together, gathering ideas for improving both Page and Houston to be implemented on their return.
