1951 – 2014
Co-Founding Principal
Jim was a banjo-playing, elk-hunting, liturgy-singing son of the South. Never one to dwell on the past, he nonetheless believed in historic preservation and the power of good design to influence the vitality of communities. With his wife Mimi, he created a firm in whose standards met those of his rich experience. The son of art patrons from North Carolina, Jim earned an architecture degree from NC State and a Master of Architecture and Urban Design from UCLA. Before opening Converse Winkler Architecture in 2001, he worked with renowned architects Charles Moore and Barton Myers; Venturi Scott-Brown & Associates; Cesar Pelli and DPK&A. The Mirrored Elephants Façade for Best Products remind us of his design talents, humor and joie de’ vivre that continue to inspire the firm today.