Jeremy Welu was 34 when he helped start DELV Design, an architecture and design studio with three partners in late 2014. It was not an easy time to start a business. Welu and his wife, Amanda (one of the firm's partners), took a risk and dropped to zero income with a 1-, 3-, and 5-year-old. Then just a few months later, a fire tragically destroyed their home. He reflects on this period as, "extremely difficult, but we took it one step at a time."
Just like his firm's namesake DELV Design, originating from the word "delve" meaning to inquire or dig into, Welu's way of doing life is rooted in looking deeper for the meaning of things—getting behind the façade. "As a young architect my focus was primarily on the design of buildings, but it's the people inside who really matter," he says. It was never more clear than at 21, when he stood in front of the windows at a New York City architecture firm, 18th and Broadway, where he was doing his college internship. It was September 11, 2001, a normal day, until he watched a plane crash into the World Trade Center. It shook the ground and his life. "I came back changed, with more purpose and clarity about how to cherish life...beyond the façade.”
Originally from Albert Lea, Minnesota, Welu was raised on a mix of agriculture, love, and hockey. His family moved to Connersville, Indiana when he was 14, and he attended Ball State University's College of Architecture and Planning. He's served as the American Institute of Architect's (AIA) Indianapolis President, helped emerging professionals through his service with the National Certification of Architects Registration Board, and was selected for Indiana's Young Architect Award in 2019. He and Amanda have three children, Hudson (13), Savannah (12) and Jensen (9), and attend Heartland Church.
WELU'S STEPS TOWARD A BETTER INDY
Want to know more? Please reach out to Jeremy at jeremy@delvdesign.com.
Just like his firm's namesake DELV Design, originating from the word "delve" meaning to inquire or dig into, Welu's way of doing life is rooted in looking deeper for the meaning of things—getting behind the façade. "As a young architect my focus was primarily on the design of buildings, but it's the people inside who really matter," he says. It was never more clear than at 21, when he stood in front of the windows at a New York City architecture firm, 18th and Broadway, where he was doing his college internship. It was September 11, 2001, a normal day, until he watched a plane crash into the World Trade Center. It shook the ground and his life. "I came back changed, with more purpose and clarity about how to cherish life...beyond the façade.”
Originally from Albert Lea, Minnesota, Welu was raised on a mix of agriculture, love, and hockey. His family moved to Connersville, Indiana when he was 14, and he attended Ball State University's College of Architecture and Planning. He's served as the American Institute of Architect's (AIA) Indianapolis President, helped emerging professionals through his service with the National Certification of Architects Registration Board, and was selected for Indiana's Young Architect Award in 2019. He and Amanda have three children, Hudson (13), Savannah (12) and Jensen (9), and attend Heartland Church.
WELU'S STEPS TOWARD A BETTER INDY
- EXPECT RESISTANCE. He asks himself "what is the path of right resistance, not least resistance." He believes the mission God has for him will be "challenging, but to take one faithful step at a time."
- VALUE PEOPLE MORE THAN PROFITS. Focusing on people and their stories is a way of staying connected to what's really important, seeing what's going on behind the façade. "Transparency and vulnerability make good community," he says.
- DELVE IN. When he travels, Welu often shares lunch and conversation with someone in need. It amazes him just how thin the margin is between them. Having community and support makes all the difference, and delving into people's stories, being curious, is something he practices not just at work, but in his life outside of work.
- PROMOTE COMMUNITY WHERE YOU ARE. From his new perch in an old Box Factory on the east side of downtown Indianapolis, Welu feels a sense of anticipation for what God will do with the company in this season. "I feel like we are in this neighborhood for a reason." What the Polk Group is doing with their transformation of the historic Polk Building is such a great example of how they are seeking to embrace the history and invest in the future of the neighborhood.
- IT'S ALL HERE. "I see a lot of great things happening in Indy," he says. "All the parts are there. How do we get that collective momentum, and how do I plug into that? Citizen 7 can do amazing things in the community."
Want to know more? Please reach out to Jeremy at jeremy@delvdesign.com.
