A lifelong love of architecture

Northland Community and Technical College student enjoys architectural technology and design

By Ingrid Harbo

EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. – For many, the COVID-19 pandemic changed how they live, work and interact with the world around them. For Tylden Kossan, the pandemic and the workforce challenges that came with it, pushed him to continue his studies in a field he has been interested in since childhood.

Kossan studies architectural technology and design at Northland Community and Technical College in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Set to graduate in May, the Grand Forks man is preparing to enter the workforce after graduation and is considering continuing his studies to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Kossan’s lifelong love of architecture stemmed from watching his father’s career in architecture and construction as a child.

“I’ve always been drawn to the design side of watching him do it,” said Kossan. “He did some freelance stuff, some residential home design and it always piqued my interest. Growing up, I played Legos a lot.”

Previously, Kossan studied civil engineering at UND, but did not graduate. While he did not finish a degree at UND, he met his wife there and the two settled down in Grand Forks. They now have two children. Kossan, originally from Alexandria, Minne -

TYLDEN KOSSAN IS AN ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN STUDENT, SET TO GRADUATE IN MAY. KOSSAN WENT BACK TO SCHOOL TO PURSUE ARCHITECTURE, WHICH HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN. ERIC HYLDEN / FOR PRAIRIE BUSINESS sota, has lived in Grand Forks since 2011. When the pandemic started, Kossan was working in sales at a brewery near Grand Forks, a job he still works today, but after seeing how the pandemic affected workers, he decided it was time for a change of pace.

“I kind of just decided that in order to take care of my family, and put us on the right path I needed to go back to school,” he said. “In looking at what I wanted to do and how to support my family best, it reinvigorated my love of architecture and design and the engineering behind everything.”

He chose Northland because it was a school with an architecture program close to home.

“It worked out perfectly, having this East Grand Forks campus,” he said. “The professors have been awesome.”

One thing Kossan has appreciated about Northland’s program is how straightforward it is. He says professors run the classroom like an office, creating a focused and structured learning experience for students.

“The programs we are learning are what we’re going to do when we get into the field, and the expectations are at the forefront of everything, so it kind of feels like I’m already in it a little bit,” he said.

In his final semesters, everything Kossan has learned at Northland is coming together in a couple design projects, including one to design a single family home that could get built.

Rod Lahren, architectural technology and design instructor at Northland, spoke highly of Kossan.

“His work ethic is really strong – he’s here every day, eager to learn,” Lahren said. “He gets into it right away.”

He said Kossan is one of his top students.

“I’d hire him tomorrow if I had a firm,” said Lahren.

Kossan says he is interested in pursuing a career in the design aspect of architecture or construction management and is interested in residential and commercial design. He’s also interested in large-scale projects like sports arenas, inspired by learning about the design process of Target Field in 2007 as a Minnesota Twins fan.

Ideally, he wants to work at a smaller firm.

“I would love to get into a smaller outfit that I can kind of grow in and grow up with,” he said. “I don’t really want to be somebody that jumps around from job to job or business to business.”

From Lego and baseball stadiums to classes at UND and Northland, Kossan has returned to a career path that always interested him.

“It’s kind of funny that I’m still going into the same world I wanted to go into, I’m just a lot more focused and have my priorities straight,” he said.

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