Ryan is an architect, artist, and educator whose work focuses on material life cycles and the communal stories that connect people to materials and city-building. He is co-founder of Ha/f Climate Design, a practice dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of building across Canada. At Ha/f, Ryan leads creative and research work, with a focus on design strategy and innovation in residential construction, and has advanced the use of life cycle assessment within architectural offices to support immediate carbon reduction.

At the University of Waterloo School of Architecture, Ryan teaches seminars on climate adaptation and mitigation, engaging students in applied research on material life cycles, reuse, and energy auditing. Ryan's approach is grounded in an art practice rooted in material circularity and local repair, work that continues to inform how he thinks about buildings, materials, and the communities they serve.