UC alum's work supports mass transit infrastructure around the world

"It’s what my family did since before the Civil War,” says Tilden. “Being exposed to that, especially through my grandfather, who was also an architect, was what really inspired me to pursue that career.”

Growing up in Canton, Ohio, Tilden used to get on the train and visit his grandfather who would help him with school projects, teach him about the history of Canton architecture, and explore local buildings, including several of his great grandfather’s that remain standing today. He fondly recalls that Canton was a wonderful place to grow up, where grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins seemed to be on every corner. As time passed and his passion for architecture grew, it became time to choose the right college.

“In those days we didn’t think much about going out of state,” Tilden says.” I traveled to four schools in Ohio and [the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning] quickly became the top contender and my saving grace. Through conversations with my parents, it became clear that I needed a co-op to put myself through school.”

Thanks to co-op, landing a job post-graduation became a natural transition. Doug accepted a position at Harry Weese and Associates, a highly respected firm in Chicago, where he worked alongside well-known architects on office buildings and other various projects. His talents and keen eye for good design was apparent very early on to Mr. Weese. Two years in, he asked Doug to move to Washington D.C. to take on the project of a lifetime — the station design work for the D.C. Metro. Reluctant to leave Chicago but encouraged by his mentor, Doug took the leap and began carving his path in transit design. And it was “love at first station.”

“Working on something that you hoped would positively impact so many people’s daily lives made me really start to hone my craft. This is not like doing an office building. This is something where, over the course of the many years, millions and millions of people are utilizing it and appreciating the quality of its design.”

Doug says one thing led to another and he started working on more transit projects, ultimately leading him overseas. In Taipei, Taiwan, for instance, he worked on a massive rail transit system consisting of 90 stations; in Athens, Greece, he served as chief architect in designing 20 new subway stations that helped update the city’s original system built in the 1880s.

“My wife, Sue, traveled with me always, and our kids were able to study in the International Schools and ultimately come stay with us on summer breaks in college,” Tilden says. “It was just the most wonderful time. We made friends, learned the language, and fully experienced the culture.”

A career highlight came after his Athens project when Tilden landed in Seoul, Korea, to lead a team of Korean and American architects in the design of five very large, high-speed rail stations, the line spanning the 240 miles between Seoul and the port city of Pusan.

Having been overseas for 12 years, Tilden was determined to come home to the U.S. and seek out a prestigious transit design position. In 2008, he was named the Chief Architect for the underground expansion of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The architectural design for this multi-billion dollar project took seven years to complete, after which in 2015, Tilden retired from the project team and is very much looking forward to the opening of the expanded terminal in 2022.