Steven D. Schuster

1951 - 2019

Steven Dale Schuster, FAIA

Raleigh

Steven Dale Schuster, FAIA peacefully died on Aug. 16 at his home surrounded by family and friends after battling with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Mary Anne Howard; his sister, Karen Merritt; his brother Mark Schuster; three nephews and a niece.

Steve was born in Hammond, IN in 1951 and grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL until the family moved to Chattanooga, TN. There, Steve played serious high school football as a tight end which, arguably, contributed to his fierce personal discipline, his admirable professional toughness and his understanding of the power of contributing to a team. Admission to NCSU College of Design in Architecture posed an early dilemma: a rigorous design education vs. playing varsity football for the University. Realizing he could not do both, Steve chose architecture under the tutelage of Henry Kamphoefner and never looked back. After obtaining his Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture from NCSU in 1973, he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where he successfully balanced athletic interface with the Rockies and the demands of advanced professional architectural training, graduating with a Master of Architecture with honors in 1977.

Returning to Raleigh to work with Brian Shawcroft, Steve began his long career working across North Carolina with a primary focus on downtown Raleigh. In 1981, Steve met artist, Thomas Sayre, which began the unusual and long-standing partnership which, several years later became known as Clearscapes. Some of Clearscapes' most notable projects include Marbles Kids Museum, the Raleigh Convention Center, CAM, Raleigh Union Station, countless cultural art facilities all across the state, and many others which were often creative, adaptive reuses of historic property.

Steve often agreed to large and demanding volunteer roles including at the College of Design at NCSU; the Triangle, State, and National AIA; Preservation North Carolina; The National Trust for Historic Preservation, and countless boards and commissions including chairing the Raleigh Planning Commission. Steve was awarded the AIA NC Gold Medal in 2012, the AIA NC Firm Award in 2007,and the 2015 Designlife Award by the College of Design at NCSU. Steve was inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame in 2014 and was awarded the 2014 Tar Heel of the Year by the News & Observer.

For his family, friends, and colleagues who mourn Steve's departure, we are comforted by his legacy which is all around us. It lives in the relationships he so faithfully maintained, in the many projects which he, sometimes painfully, brought into our world. Perhaps, most of all, Steve lives in the very fabric of this City. He lives in our lively urban spaces, in our dynamic public buildings, in the art that he fostered and the designs he so masterfully orchestrated. Steve Schuster has made enormous contribution to each of us, his community.

There will be a private family service with a celebration of Steve's life and career to be scheduled later this Fall.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Preservation North Carolina, P.O. Box 27644 Raleigh, NC 27611-7644, www.presnc.org; Marbles Kids Museum, 201 East Hargett Street Raleigh, NC 27601, www.marbleskidsmuseum.org; Urban Ministries of Wake County,1390 Capital Boulevard Raleigh, NC 27603, www.urbanmin.org.

Arrangements by Brown-Wynne, Saint Mary's Street, Raleigh.