What was your path/journey after you graduated from Cornell?
Following graduation, I was unsure what path to pursue, but I was interested in the visual arts, architecture, and urban planning. I took a gig at an architecture firm in Philadelphia for two years before committing to a three-year Master of Architecture program at Columbia. Immersion in NYC was transformative for my personal and professional trajectory. I, along with a few of my fellow classmates, had the fortune of presenting our final studio project in the Guggenheim-sponsored American Pavilion at the 2000 Venice Biennale. I was also super lucky to receive a travelling fellowship to explore the modern architectural relics of Jean Francois Zevaco in Morocco.
Following grad school, I worked for two years at Agrest & Gandelsonas Architects, designing residential projects in Madrid, the Hamptons, and Jose Ignacio (Uruguay) and developing urban design proposals.
I then scored a position working in LA for one of my architectural heroes, Frank Gehry. Commuting by bike was a cool change, but so was the opportunity to work on projects including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Bard College’s Fisher Center, and the IAC world headquarters in NYC.
I longed for NYC during my three years in LA, so I relocated back to Manhattan for a brief, two-year stint at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). Ironically, one of my projects was a master plan for Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island, which included a Gehry-designed Guggenheim. We also completed a master plan for Denver’s Union Square Station complex and the surrounding LoDo neighborhood.
By 2006, I returned to my city planning background and transitioned to public service. I decided to simultaneously work in the public sector, teach, and establish my own firm. I founded Jason Tax Architecture LLC, held adjunct teaching appointments at New York Institute of Technology and Pratt Institute, and joined the architectural team at New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
I currently lead a team of architects in MTA’s Construction & Development group. We design and rehab buildings critical to supporting the transit system and its 5 million subway and bus customers. In parallel to my MTA work, I have completed – in my role as sole practitioner - over a dozen residential projects in NYC and LA.
I use my free time for domestic and international travel. I also volunteer my time with the New York Architectural League to mentor undergraduates at CUNY’s City College and City Tech.
What is your favorite Class at Cornell? In retrospect, what has proven to be your most useful class from Cornell?
Roger Trancik’s urban design studio was my favorite class (6 credits!). We spent a semester in Roberts Hall studying Giambattista Nolli’s maps of Rome, which we then parlayed into an urban design for Willet’s Point in Queens, NY. I further developed this work into my senior thesis with Professor Trancik and my other co-advisor, the late Professor KC Parsons. My proposal included a proposal for an intermodal transit facility between LaGuardia Airport’s AirTrain, the LIRR, and NYC Subway’s #7 train. I never would have guessed that I would be working on multiple MTA NYC Transit projects later in my career!
Which Cornell classmates do you keep in contact with?
At the start of the COVID lockdown, Stephen Kabakoff, Jacob Tyler, and Kevin Wang (all Class of ’95) and I started meeting monthly on Zoom, and we continue to (virtually) meet every month. My brother, Aaron Tax ’98, and cousin, Becca Schader ’96, are always front and center. At the MTA, I work alongside Gus Ponzoa ’95. During my years in LA, I met Mitch Macnguyen ’88 and we remain friends to this day, and I remain in contact with Stephen Friedfeld ‘95, who I was thrilled to see last year while passing through Pasadena.
What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2025?
As an architect and planner, I am always curious to see the physical transformations in Ithaca. Among the buildings on my list is the new Fine Arts Library at Rand Hall. For nostalgic purposes, I will visit Sibley and Tjaden on the Arts Quad, Cascadilla Gorge, West Campus, Collegetown, and the suspension bridge. I will certainly miss the Chapter House, The Nines, and Sperry Hall. The most meaningful aspect of reunion, for me, is reconnecting with the people (and families) with whom I have fallen out of regular contact or, because of geography, are available only by phone, email or online.