Gotthilf Goetz Schierle

Gotthilf Goetz Schierle, PhD, FAIA (1934–2025)

Professor Gotthilf Goetz Schierle, FAIA, a visionary architect, educator, and pioneer in seismic design and tensile structures, passed away peacefully with his son by his side on August 22, 2025 at the age of 90. Born in Germany on October 4, 1934, his life was marked by an unyielding passion for integrating form, function, and safety in architecture, leaving an indelible legacy on the built environment and generations of students.

Professor Schierle earned his Dipl-Ing degree from Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences before pursuing advanced studies in the United States, where he obtained a Master of Architecture and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. His academic journey laid the foundation for a distinguished career that bridged practice and education. He taught at UC Berkeley and Stanford University before joining the University of Southern California (USC) School of Architecture, where he founded and directed the Master of Building Science Program. As a professor, he inspired countless students with his innovative approaches to structure education, seismic design, and interdisciplinary optimization, earning the ACSA Creative Achievement Award and research grants from NSF, HUD, and FEMA.

Elevated to Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA), Professor Schierle's professional practice spanned continents, with major projects in America, Asia, and Europe. He lectured extensively at AIA National Conventions and published widely on earthquake-safe design and tensile structures, advancing global standards for resilient architecture. His work on iconic buildings emphasized the synergy of form and function, blending aesthetics and engineering, reflecting his belief that great design enhances human safety and experience.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Professor Schierle was a devoted family man, cherished for his adventurous spirit, warm heart and brilliant mind. He was a guiding light whose enthusiasm for life extended to skiing, traveling, mastering foreign languages, outdoor adventure, and fostering creative minds. As a young man he climbed the highest mountain in Europe, the Mont Blanc, as well as visiting the pyramids of Egypt and the American West where he eventually settled down. All these traits live on in his son and grandchildren. His spirit endures in the structures he shaped and the lives he touched-may his legacy continue to build a safer, more beautiful world.