Barry Swenson, Iconic San Jose Developer and Founder of Swenson Builders, Passes Away at 85

San Jose and the South Bay mourned Saturday’s death of one of their most familiar and lovable legends. Barry Swenson, president and founder of Swenson Builders and creator of some San Jose’s most ubiquitous landmarks, died at the age of 85 on Saturday. You’ve likely walked through downtown San Jose or gazed up at the city skyline and seen Barry Swenson’s work whether you were aware of it or not. His legacy in San Jose is impossible to escape with such landmark structures as San Jose City Hall, Civic Center, San Jose Mercury News building, and historic Hotel De Anza all carrying the imprint of his firm. Not only did these buildings shape the face and personality of the city, but also its identity.

Barry Swenson wasn’t just a builder; he was a dreamer, a doer, and a deeply grounded individual who believed in creating spaces that brought people together. Those close to him often heard him say, “I’m one of those guys who can make a bar of soap last a year. I don’t throw anything away.” One of his sayings on the Swenson Builders’ site, which was, and continues to be, so characteristic of what he was all about low-key, self-sufficient, green long before all those “hot” buzzwords.

Swenson’s path to the trade of a builder did not begin with him. He was tracking down a lead from his father, who had pioneered the family’s presence in the building industry at the turn of the 20th century. But Barry outgrew that start in a great way. He began his own business – Barry Swenson Builders in 1977. It was world-famous immediately for its excellence and innovative construction. His goal wasn’t to construct buildings for the mere fact of it was to construct neighborhoods and make San Jose a community where companies and people would be inclined to prosper.

His former colleague, Jesse L. Nickell III, who served as senior vice president at Swenson Builders, worked alongside Barry for 34 years. Nickell remembers him not only as a sharp businessman but also as someone who was deeply loyal and generous. “His optimism was infectious,” Nickell shared. “He was giving, generous and was a loyalist with all those around him. I’m sad to see Barry leaving us and going to the other side.”

That faith-based spirituality and community generosity was too starkly shown in 1989, when the Bay Area, including Santa Cruz, was ravaged by the Loma Prieta earthquake. Swenson, and Nickell, rose to the challenge of rebuilding a dozen homes in the community. Their faith that Santa Cruz would and could be rebuilt better than before encouraged them to persevere and not just rebuild buildings, but hope.

Swenson’s portfolio excluded government buildings and the retrofitting of old homes. His resume listed residential campuses including condos and assisted-living facilities, to hip office high-rises for the region’s largest corporations. He had a knack for knowing what a city would be best served and how to maintain it.

In the 2000s, not wanting to do something half-baked, Swenson built a second way of producing concrete structures. He called it “Landmaker,” a more efficient and predetermined concept. His entrepreneurial skills paid off in the form of a patent on the process in 2016 – a yet another instance of how he remained ahead of his time later in his life.

Barry Swenson in life was a plain kind of guy. He liked the best things in life garden-fresh vegetables dug out, raw vegetables to snack on, and an excellent Irish whiskey. “He enjoyed hunting and digging vegetables out of the garden and eating fresh and clean,” Nickell said. “He’s a brother that I’m going to miss.”

Until now, Swenson’s family hasn’t publicly spoken, but his will beautifully says it all for him. From the skyscrapers of San Jose’s downtown that seem to tower over it to the alliances and friendships he forged over years, Barry Swenson’s will resonate for generations.

His death is a gigantic loss, not only to the city of construction and architecture, but to the entire South Bay community. Swenson was not merely a builder – he was a dream builder, a believer, and a person who knew that success is achieved by building the people and the places around you.

And just as San Jose grows and thrives, so too will it emulate the way of Barry Swenson – a man who didn’t waste anything and would never see so much as a brick, so much as a beam, so much as an inch of concrete go to waste.