Born to Build
by Ben Bradley
“I’m fortunate enough to have found something early on that I truly love, and ever since then I’ve just been captivated by architecture & building and all forms of it.”
–Cam Minor, Migration Studios
The universal question posed throughout one’s adolescence: What do you want to be when you grow up? The question comes up early and often, usually as a small child is just beginning to piece together enough language to articulate the wild whimsy of their imagination. But with age, the question resurfaces, and this time with a more earnest urgency. For some, the answer to that question never seems to come, while for others the answer comes so easily that it’s like it was there all along.
For Cam Minor, his career choice made perfect, logical sense. It was a calling, one might say. Minor is the creative genius behind Migration Studios, an upstart design-build firm in Ketchum, Idaho. Prior to discovering his deep passion for architecture and design, Minor grew up completely immersed in the building industry.
Minor’s grandfather Brad ‘Fod’ Minor started Idaho Truss in 1974, a company that later became known as Idaho Lumber, a local hardware store that still anchors the bend in the road on Main Street in downtown Hailey, Idaho. While growing up, his dad Matt owned and ran the store, and Cam spent his youthful years surrounded by the business of building. From absorbing the technical banter of the builders coming and going, to walking countless job sites with his brother and father, building in the Wood River Valley became the backdrop of his childhood.
After high school, Minor attended University of Colorado in Boulder where he studied architecture, eventually earning his master’s degree. As he rounded out his education, he landed his first job with Tres Birds, a highly acclaimed design-build company based in Denver. For some, going into construction with a master’s degree under the belt might defy logic, but for Minor, getting hands-on building experience provided a critical step in his professional development.
“I heard complaints my entire life about the limited building knowledge of designers and architects,” says Minor of the disconnect between the vision of a design and the practical considerations of the actual building process. “I always felt that building was an important step, a stepping stone in my journey.” For the next nine years, Minor worked as both a foreman and project manager with Tres Birds workshop, helping them to create provocative, eye-catching projects across Colorado and beyond.
“I heard complaints my entire life about the limited building knowledge of designers and architects. I always felt that building was an important step, a stepping stone in my journey.”
–Cam Minor, Migration Studios
Over those years, Minor honed his skills and developed a thorough understanding of the work required to translate complex design concepts into flawless construction. He poured himself into the most minute details, understanding that the sum of the tiniest elements of execution would be critical for the completed project to truly stand out. Along with the practical expertise, Minor also developed a strong point of view when it came to what he valued most in a design, which would serve him well when he decided to venture out on his own.
In 2019, Minor returned to his hometown of Ketchum, Idaho, to open Migration Studios. A culmination of his entire life up to that point, Migration Studios spans a massive scope and highlights Minor’s unique philosophy and talent. His past and current projects include both residential and commercial, and all exude Minor’s overarching commitment to creating designs that delight and engage all five senses. Minor notes, “Art is always at the forefront of our design thinking.” His designs manage quite remarkably to be both a captivating feast for the eyes and a subtle, harmonious complement to their surrounding environment.
Perhaps equal to its commitment to compelling artistic designs, Migration Studios is also devoted to embracing technology in the pursuit of both efficient construction and sustainable housing solutions. “I’m excited about the future; the rapidly expanding technology landscape has improved communication and collaboration across project teams,” says Minor. “As the climate evolves and our global population continues to surge, new challenges of density and resource management will require us to re-evaluate how we live and interact with the built environment.”
“We can take inspiration from some of the successes of the past. There are several European cities that have been around a lot longer than us that we can learn from.”
–Cam Minor, Migration Studios
A current project that keenly exemplifies Migration’s commitment to contributing to the two pressing issues of climate change and sustainable housing is Boise Ave, a new urban housing development in Boise, Idaho. The project consists of five single-family dwellings that incorporate the latest sustainable construction technology with the time-tested wisdom of Old World urban living. “We can take inspiration from some of the successes of the past,” notes Minor. “There are several European cities that have been around a lot longer than us that we can learn from.” Currently in the design phase, the Boise Ave project embodies the ethos of Migration: stunning, art-forward design with impeccable construction that relies on the latest technology to achieve extraordinary efficiency.
With a handful of years gone by, and the post-Covid boom still marching on, Migration Studios is hitting its stride and showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. It certainly feels like Minor has found himself where his story was always leading. Born into a family of entrepreneurs who shared a passion for building, the success Minor has found with Migration Studios appears almost pre-destined. “I’m fortunate enough to have found something early on that I truly love, and ever since then I’ve just been captivated by architecture and building and all forms of it.”
As Minor continues to grow Migration Studios, he has his young daughter Goldie to thank for completely enriching and altering his outlook on the world. In an endeavor as personal and creative as architecture, she will certainly be contributing to her father’s work in her own way. And perhaps more importantly, she will be the latest in a long line of Minors to grow up surrounded by the beauty of Idaho and the art of building.
