It is with deep sadness that we share that Roger Kallman has passed away at the age of 82. An urban planner and retired SOM Partner who helped to establish our London office in 1986, Roger developed SOM’s international profile as a design firm that merged architectural and city planning expertise.
“Roger played a crucial role in establishing the foundation of a serious urban design practice at SOM in the early 1980s, at a time when that wasn’t very common in the world of architecture,” said Philip Enquist, retired Partner in Charge of Urban Design and Planning. “He was a trailblazer who cared deeply about inclusivity and the relationship between cities and the natural environment.”
A dynamic personality and ambitious world traveler, Roger embraced life with an adventurous spirit. He was curious about the world, guided by a genuine interest in people and an ability to form authentic connections. These skills were key to his success as a planner who pursued an intensely international career, spearheading some of SOM’s first projects in countries such as Malaysia and Kuwait, while mentoring generations of urban planners and designers at the London office. Roger is remembered by his former colleagues as an inspirational figure who approached each project with a sense of optimism and ambition, and who welcomed and supported the contributions of younger designers and practitioners across disciplines. “Roger would encourage you to think bigger, to think broader, to be more aware of the natural setting, to understand the historic patterns of urbanization,” Enquist recalled. “He loved having London as his setting for thinking about the future of cities, and he was inspirational in that position.”
Born in 1944 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Roger studied architecture as an undergraduate and then earned two successive masters’ degrees, in architecture and city planning. He joined SOM’s Chicago office in 1971. There he found an ideal place to pursue his intellectual passion for design, together with opportunities to broaden his experience of the world. From early work on planning projects—notably, the Chicago Central Area Plan and a planning study for his hometown of Milwaukee—Roger had a pivotal opportunity in 1975 to work on a major study for multimodal transportation terminals in Dublin. The relationships that Roger formed there positioned him to take on his next project, a land use and transportation plan for the city of Cork, Ireland, where he relocated for two years to oversee the project. His work there established a framework for future growth in the southwest of Ireland, and it also set the trajectory for his international career.
More international projects followed—a university campus plan on the island of Borneo; a bayfront district plan in Kuwait City—and with them, the chance to travel and learn from cultures different from his own. In 1986, Roger was one of the first SOM staff to relocate to London, helping to establish the firm’s presence in the UK capital. Two simultaneous, large-scale planning projects—Broadgate and Canary Wharf—allowed SOM to scale up what began as a small site office into a European headquarters. The firm’s experience in fast-track construction projects in the United States was highly sought after, and SOM’s growth in London also provided an ideal environment for Roger’s career to flourish. Within three years, he became a Partner.
Throughout his career in London, Roger led planning projects throughout the UK and Ireland—including a major mixed-use development in Doncaster, a corporate campus expansion for Hewlett-Packard in Bristol, and a riverfront urban regeneration project in Dublin. Roger remained involved in Cork throughout his career, returning there in 1992 to guide an update of the 1976 plan. The Planning Institution of Ireland recognized his contributions to the area by electing him an Honorary Life Member in 1996.
Beyond his work at SOM, Roger was a highly respected figure in the UK architectural community. He played a key role in the establishment of the AIA UK and London Chapter in the 1990s, which was the organization’s first international chapter. At various points in his career he served as the Chairman of the City Architecture Forum, President of the Bishopsgate Ward Club, president of the Lambda Alpha International (LAI) London Chapter, and a member of advisory board of the Institute for International Urban Development. As an advocate for architectural education beyond the classroom, he was highly involved in the SOM Foundation travel fellowship awards.
Roger’s lifelong interest in travel, food, people, places, and culture stemmed from the same curiosity that allowed him to succeed as an accomplished planner. “He demonstrated the value of forming authentic relationships,” said SOM Partner Kent Jackson. “Roger was a true original, a tremendous asset to SOM, and will be greatly missed.”
