Sim Van der Ryn

Sim Van Der Ryn was born in 1935[3] (age 85) in the Netherlands. His family moved to Queens, New York, then moved to Great Neck, New York on Long Island.[4]

He received education at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, graduating at the age of 24 with a degree in B.Arch., in 1958.[5] During that year he moved to California and joined the UC Berkeley faculty where he became an educator for 35 years.[6] Later in his career, he was listed as a state architect in California and New Mexico. Sim also, became a licensed architect where he received a certification by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB).[7][8]

• Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Berkeley, CA. 1958-1966.
• Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 1966-1970.[7]
• Professor, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 1970.[7]
• Goff Chair of Innovative Architecture, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 2001.[7]
• Professor Emeritus of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, 2019.[7]

Sim’s vision has always been to include ecological values and philosophies to the built environment. He introduced new academic intervention programs through elementary schools in Berkeley, California One of the programs motto was “trash can do it” this method of recycling materials would encourage students to utilize resources through a new approach. The hands-on methods of understanding allowed students to grasped a real-life perspective of different materials and convert them to environmentally functional projects. The program Created opportunities to enhance and develop manual, intellectual and social skills. They have created and established a do it yourself guideline to rectify educational systems.[9]

Sim had an innovate and unconventional approach to teaching. In his classes he insisted on creating a more balanced force between male and female candies. He persisted with this criteria and was able to create a more equal environment for all future professionals. His vision towards Architecture was to provide women with similar opportunities as men instructing to accept equal applicants of men and women in the early 70s. “Outlaw builder studio” was a significant platform for sim van der ryn to demonstrate his new ecological and solar architecture where his students develop building and social skills. Students created, designed and built accordingly to their need while living in the outdoors for at least three days of the week. Later on, some of the projects were taken down because they didn’t meet building codes and requirements. This was met with some scrutiny in his teaching career from his peers and other professionals.[9]

Energy pavilion was a followed project in the early 70s. This project provided the first mainstream booklet on solar architecture. Students were able to construct an early design of solar panels. This energy efficient design was a futuristic outlook in ecological and environmental architecture. At the time of this project the world was witnessing the dilemmas of the oil crisis. Sim encouraged his studio to connect with the surrounding environment and maintain a cohesive approach in design.[9]

• State of California, Energy Resources and Conservation and Development Building, Sacramento, CA[10]
• State of California, Department of Justice, Office Building #1, Sacramento, CA 1977-1978.[11]
• State of California, State Office Building, Sacramento, CA, 1977-1978[11]
• State of California, Water Resources Control Board Building, Sacramento, CA[11]
• State of California, State Office Building, San Jose, CA[11]
• The Ojai Foundation School Ojai, CA.[12]
• Green Gulch Zen Center Muir Beach, CA[13]
• Real Goods Solar Living Center Hopland, California, 1996[14]

Sim desired to become a painter he believed that design is a gate to understand ourselves through nature. He taught different watercolor classes to his students and found it to be meditative state. Sim also found it to be a starting point for a designer to integrate with nature and begin to collaborate with it.[15]