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Venues For Life™ 

Creating inspiring 3rd Places and activating communities by mixing engaging sports, activities, diverse programming, and events. 

From concept to completion, helping you bridge the gap and turn bold ideas into thriving, multi-use venues that connect life, work, and play.

REACH OUT TO CHRIS

Chris Ryan - AIA, NCARB 

Building Design & Development Consultant

Licensed Architect & Registered Contractor

Board Member & Speaker

 

TRUSTED BY

The Expectation is Excellence

Whatever your vision, it all starts with your project's unique fingerprint.

 

What you truly care about, and how you want to activate your community through sport, activities, programming, and events.

 

That's the foundation for creating what's next..

Reimagining Spaces for Life, Work, and Play

The lines between life and work are more blended than ever, and our digital lives leave people craving in-person activities, engagement, and interaction.

That's where a new type of Third Place(+) comes in; environments that curate ecologies of activities and programming that supports the different aspects of our lives; our work, play, and growth.

 

These are places where we can play and do the things we love, both individually and collectively, as a deeply engaged and activated community.

 

Whether it's a state-of-the-art climbing and fitness facility, a coworking hub, or an inspiring community center; these are spaces that foster connection and creativity while improving our mental, physical, and social well-being. 

Turning good ideas into great projects.

Clients opened 9 new facilities in the last 3 years.

Current projects valued at over $90m.

Helped 4 businesses open first location in the last 3 years.

Helped 1 business franchise their model.

Helped 7 businesses raise funds to build in the last 3 years.

Opened 17 climbing and dedicated work/ play facilities.

Worked across 5 continents.

Designed 75+ climbing wall projects over last 20 years.

Over 100 climbing and mixed-use concepts, and test fits.

Track Record

Clients opened 9 new facilities in the last 3 years

 

Projects valued at over $90m

 

4 businesses open first location

 

Businesses up to $5bn in revenue

 

1 business franchise their model

 

Helped 7 businesses raise funds

 

17 climbing and dedicated work/ play facilities

 

Worked on 5 continents


 

How We Do It


Advising

Project Launch &

Advising

Get projects going quickly with early-phase/ high-value advising & long-term support as your strategic partner and go-to development person. It's about balancing the dials of development, so that the real estate, P&L, and design all speak to each other and make sense, because none of them work on their own.

LEARN MORE

Design

Visualization &

Project Development

Test new concepts rapidly, visualize options, test-fit locations, create visuals for fundraising, and create an image of how the whole project works together. We use visuals, budgets, and schedules to connect big ideas with the reality of budget, business model, and real estate.

LEARN MORE

Research

Speaking &

Keynotes

Research and experience-based perspective on what's coming next, based on what we're doing now and where we want to go in the future. From conferences, workshops, and private sessions, Chris' passion for creating Third Places+ will be clear, and as a former college professor, he loves sharing ideas.

LEARN MORE

 

Testimonials

"It's his experience not only in the Architectural genius in the designs he creates, but in the many details found in-between.

 

Everything about how we approach our growth as a company has evolved so measurably since beginning to work with Chris."

Britt Riley

Founder - Haven Daycare/ Coworking/ Fitness

"Chris Ryan has been an invaluable resource helping us to convey our concepts to various municipal departments in an expeditious and cost effective manner. 

 

His ability to rapidly translate concepts into visual realities and to scale is remarkable"

Jesse Levin

Founder - Tactivate

"I feel like I wouldn't be in the process of opening and making it happen without Chris; and the guidance through the development world has been great.

 

Turning an idea into reality, I attribute a lot of that to your help."

Mark Messner

Founder - Rendezvous Climbing

VIEW MORE TESTIMONIALS

 

About Chris

Chris Ryan is a licensed Architect, registered contractor, former development executive, and over the past two decades he's focused on designing, developing, and building next-generation building projects centered around emerging sports and activities.

 

After years spent working for multidisciplinary architecture and design-build companies, learning how to balance design with cost and execution, Chris spent a decade designing, developing, and building next generation climbing gyms across the country. 

 

These experiences taught what it takes to take visionary ideas and efficiently bridge the gap between idea and open doors.

Today, Chris uses those lessons and recipes learned to help clients build wild Third Place projects, based around the sports and activities we love.

An avid rock climber, surfer, skier, and former national-level competitive athlete, Chris has experienced firsthand how play can profoundly impact our lives. 

 

His award-winning work has been written about in Fast Company and Forbes, and his YouTube channel has over 18,000+ subscribers.

 

He has taught design, construction, and professional practice courses at Roger Williams University and as a Visiting Lecturer at Northeastern University, and received his Master of Architecture degree from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.

BOOK A CALL WITH CHRIS
  • Licensed Architect (AIA, NCARB)
  • Registered Contractor (GC)
  • Former VP Development (2012-2020)
  • College & Graduate School Professor (2011-2021)
  • Master of Architecture - Harvard GSD '09
  • Nationally Ranked Climber (early 2000s)
  • Climbing Wall Designer (2001-5005)
  • Bachelor of Environmental Design - CU Boulder '02
  • Eagle Scout

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Join 18,000+ subscribers and access Chris' latest insights, so you can apply them to the building projects of tomorrow. 

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Likewise, if I properly request to be forgotten, you will delete the data you have for me, or make it inaccessible. I also understand that if there is a dispute regarding my personal data, I can contact someone who is responsible for handling data-related concerns. If we are unable to resolve any issue, you will provide an independent service to arbitrate a resolution. If I have any questions regarding my rights or privacy, I can contact the email address provided.

 

FAQ

What does Chris do?

Chris helps clients take visionary ideas and turn them into successfully completed multi-use building projects. 

 

His focus is on creating the best projects in the world that combine work and play, mixing emerging sports and activities like climbing, skate parks, coworking, events, food & beverage, fitness, recovery, yoga, racket sports, childcare, education, retail, and many other unique programs. 

 

These facilities often function as community centers and a new type of 3rd Place +, where we get to share the things we love, together.

 

The first step is to reach out through my Contact page, and if it seems like the right fit, we can hop on a call together.

How does Chris help create world-class emerging sport and mixed-use facilities?

Chris develops projects side by side with you, as your go-to development person.

 

The goal is to help you, your vision, and your facility shine. 

 

We do this with a combination of Visualization, Financial Planning & Analysis, and Strategy.

 

For some clients, that's in an advisory capacity. For some, it's helping with rapid visualization of business concepts. For many, it's helping from the earliest ideation, through business planning, visualization, fundraising, documentation, permitting, construction, and opening. 

  • Free resources include the YouTube videos and Resources page.
  • The Project Launch advising program is for organizing projects and making progress in 1-3 months.
  • Rapid Concept Visualization is available for clients and businesses who have specific concepts they want to test and visualize quickly.
  • Facility Design and Development packages are available for those people looking to have Chris get deeper into projects with them. 
  • Project management and advising is available as projects continue, and businesses continue to grow with new concepts, test fits, and opening new locations. With many clients, these become multi-year relationships. 

In all of these cases, the goal is the same (to open world-class facilities), but the way we work together depends on what's the right fit

What types of facility does Chris work on?

Chris' unique specialty is as an Architect who's done world-class, multi-use projects around the world that mix work and play.

 

These are a new type of 3rd Space, and function as a home away from home for the people who get to enjoy them. 

 

This started with his personal love for climbing, developing next-generation climbing facilities for over a decade across the USA, but that was just the beginning. 

 

Today, projects incorporate multiple uses for different types of users; from Olympic athletes to groms; we mix things like climbing and skating, with spaces for coworking, fitness, events, kids' programming, food & beverage, retail, etc...

 

This is the requirement for a modern facility; to reach a wider audience while still speaking to the core user, to create a resilient business. 

 

The goal is to always create ecosystems of programs, to create inspiring spaces and successful businesses. 

What qualifies Chris to do this?

Chris has been creating award-winning live/ work/ play projects for nearly 20 years. 

 

Chris has been a climber for nearly 30 years, and is a prime example of how climbing can change your life. From a under-sized 15 y.o. kid, to traveling the world, to designing climbing walls and finishing 10th in bouldering nationals in the early 2000s', this is is the reason Chris is so passionate about helping people open new facilities and build communities through climbing. 

 

Chris is a Licensed Architect (AIA, NCARB), a registered general contractor, and ran development for a climbing gym franchise for nearly a decade.

 

Over those 20 years, Chris was a designer, project manager, construction manager, owners representative, VP development.

 

He's walked countless spaces, done hundreds of test fits and concept designs, and worked through piles of leases and potential opportunities with businesses looking for real estate to buy or lease. 

 

In addition, Chris was a professor at the college and graduate school level for 11 years; researching and teaching on issues related to professional practice, construction and materials, and design studios. That experience has informed his current way of working, leading to better ways to organize projects, teams, and work with owners compared to most "traditional" models of project delivery.

 

Chris did his undergraduate degree at CU Boulder (Bachelor of Environmental Design BENVD '02), and got his Masters at the Harvard Graduate School of Design (MArch '09).

 

Over the years, Chris has designed and developed climbing gyms and other mixed-use projects across the country and around the world. These lessons and insights have proved to be invaluable working with clients on projects, saving time and money, so that we can focus on the best result possible.

 

All of this is to say that Chris thinks and works at the highest theoretical level, while also digging ditches with clients to make projects happen. 

What about past results?

Here are some specific metrics and client results:

 

Between 2022-2024:

  • Opened 9 new facilities.
  • Current project work valued at over $90m.
  • Helped 4 businesses open their first location.
  • Worked with businesses with up to $5bn in revenue.
  • Helped 7 businesses raise their funding for startup and projects.
  • Helped 1 business successfully franchise their model.
  • Has worked across the US and on 5 continents.

Between 2000-2022:

  • Designed, developed, and managed the successful completion of 8 next generation climbing facilities.
  • Traveled across the country executing projects and visiting potential sites.
  • Created 100+ climbing and mixed-use concepts and test fits (not built).
  • Designed over 75 climbing walls for universities, gyms, and recreation centers.
  • Watched a successful franchise go out of business, with a front row seat...

You can hear more from my clients directly, on my Testimonials page.

Why would we hire Chris?

This isn't for everyone; if you're looking to do a milk-toast project, you'll be better served elsewhere.

 

This IS for people who aren't satisfied with a "good" project, and are willing to invest in creating a truly great project, with genuinely world-class ambition. 

 

To create a world-class project, it's not about simply hiring an architect and hoping for the best. There's too much at stake for you to be someone else's new-project experiment. 

 

It's about REALLY digging into the why of the project, so that we can design a space and develop a strategy to execute the project that meets your goals, budget, timeline, and ambition. 

 

This means that the space you rent or buy, and the business model you develop, and the amount you can afford to spend on the build-out, and the predicted return on all that investment needs to work together. 

 

Figuring out that puzzle is what Chris does with clients.

 

If your ambition is a world-class project, and you'd like help to put the pieces together, designing an inspiring space, and strategizing how to execute everything successfully, then reach out and let's talk. 

How do we start working together?

The first step is to reach out through my Contact page, and if it seems like the right fit, we can hop on a call together.

 

My goal is to guide you in the right direction with feedback and recommendations on where to go and what to check out or who to talk to.

 

If I can help, 99% of my clients start with my Project Launch advising program, because it's a great way to get to know each other, extend the conversation, and get you some real answers, organization, and digital tools and templates you can customize. 

 

From there, as the project develops, we can jump into a larger Design and Development Package, and the Advising fee will be deducted from that. 

 

If you have a very clear vision as-to what you want to do, and depending on your timeline, you may be in that 1% where we can jump right into a Design and Development Package.

 

Over the years, beginning with advising has proved to be a great path to success, because there's no extra cost if you continue with the Design and Development Package. 

 

In any case, reach out and let's begin the conversation.

Does Chris design climbing walls?

Yes! My first job at the end of college and after college for several years, was designing climbing walls for a climbing wall company, and it's something that I've continued doing over the last ~25 years, for specific projects. 

 

I'm a big believer that our climbing walls aren't good enough in most facilities, and over the years, I've become more and more re-engaged with climbing wall design, to get the most out of projects for my clients. 

Send Chris A Message:

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Likewise, if I properly request to be forgotten, you will delete the data you have for me, or make it inaccessible. I also understand that if there is a dispute regarding my personal data, I can contact someone who is responsible for handling data-related concerns. If we are unable to resolve any issue, you will provide an independent service to arbitrate a resolution. If I have any questions regarding my rights or privacy, I can contact the email address provided.

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Get Weekly Inspiration From Chris In Your Inbox

I confirm that I am at least 16 years of age or older

I have read and accept any EULA, Terms and Conditions, Acceptable Use Policy, and/or Data Processing Addendum which has been provided to me in connection with the software, products and/or services.

I have been fully informed and consent to the collection and use of my personal data for any purpose in connection with the software, products and/or services.

I understand that certain data, including personal data, must be collected or processed in order for you to provide any products or services I have requested or contracted for. I understand that in some cases it may be required to use cookies or similar tracking to provide those products or services..

I understand that I have the right to request access annually to any personal data you have obtained or collected regarding me. You have agreed to provide me with a record of my personal data in a readable format.

I also understand that I can revoke my consent and that I have the right to be forgotten. If I revoke my consent you will stop collecting or processing my personal data. I understand that if I revoke my consent, you may be unable to provide contracted products or services to me, and I can not hold you responsible for that.

Likewise, if I properly request to be forgotten, you will delete the data you have for me, or make it inaccessible. I also understand that if there is a dispute regarding my personal data, I can contact someone who is responsible for handling data-related concerns. If we are unable to resolve any issue, you will provide an independent service to arbitrate a resolution. If I have any questions regarding my rights or privacy, I can contact the email address provided.

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Get Weekly Inspiration From Chris In Your Inbox

Join 16,000+ subscribers and access Chris' latest insights, so you can apply them to the building projects of tomorrow.

I confirm that I am at least 16 years of age or older

I have read and accept any EULA, Terms and Conditions, Acceptable Use Policy, and/or Data Processing Addendum which has been provided to me in connection with the software, products and/or services.

I have been fully informed and consent to the collection and use of my personal data for any purpose in connection with the software, products and/or services.

I understand that certain data, including personal data, must be collected or processed in order for you to provide any products or services I have requested or contracted for. I understand that in some cases it may be required to use cookies or similar tracking to provide those products or services..

I understand that I have the right to request access annually to any personal data you have obtained or collected regarding me. You have agreed to provide me with a record of my personal data in a readable format.

I also understand that I can revoke my consent and that I have the right to be forgotten. If I revoke my consent you will stop collecting or processing my personal data. I understand that if I revoke my consent, you may be unable to provide contracted products or services to me, and I can not hold you responsible for that.

Likewise, if I properly request to be forgotten, you will delete the data you have for me, or make it inaccessible. I also understand that if there is a dispute regarding my personal data, I can contact someone who is responsible for handling data-related concerns. If we are unable to resolve any issue, you will provide an independent service to arbitrate a resolution. If I have any questions regarding my rights or privacy, I can contact the email address provided.

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