Sim Van der Ryn

1935 - 2024

Sim Van der Ryn
03/12/1935 - 10/19/2024
Sim Van der Ryn, an influential architect and a pioneer in sustainable design, passed away October 19, on the waning of the Hunter's super moon, the biggest and brightest of the year. Sim was a hunter of meaning � always searching for a new way of living. His unwavering ideal was to design a humanistic way of life that could coexist harmoniously with nature. His innovative work and dedication to environmental stewardship have left an indelible mark on the fields of architecture and design.
Born into a Jewish family on March 12, 1935, in the Netherlands, Sim's family fled to New York City in 1939 to escape the Holocaust. Uprooted and lonely, Sim sought refuge in nature, exploring and finding solace in the green nooks and crannies of the urban landscape. He was fortunate to attend the famed High School of Music and Arts, which cultivated his creative spirit. Later, at his parent's urging to do something practical, he studied architecture at The University of Michigan.
Sim moved to Calif. in 1958, with his first wife, Mimi Wolfe, and began family life in Berkeley. He quickly secured a professorship at the University of California, Berkeley. His experiences in the 1960s free speech and anti-war protests were especially pivotal in shaping his views on conventional structures and systems. He served as a negotiator between students and the administration during the People's Park conflict, and often recalled the horror of the National Guard's arrival on the scene and the violence that erupted in the idyllic space the students had created.
He was a creative, sometimes radical educator, teaching classes at U.C. Berkeley, such as "Building a Place in the Country," and hosting students on his property in Inverness, where they designed and constructed buildings from salvaged, repurposed materials. He inspired a new generation of architects to think critically about the environmental impact of their designs and urged a more holistic approach, merging creativity with ecological responsibility. Sim's advice to new professors was to "teach what you want to learn."
He soon became recognized for his commitment to integrating natural systems with built environments. He co-founded Farallones Institute, a center for teaching and research in appropriate technology and sustainable design in Occidental. He focused on creating energy-efficient buildings that harmonized with their surroundings, often incorporating elements of permaculture. Throughout his career, he embraced innovative materials and techniques, including earth-sheltered design and the use of renewable resources. In his classes at U.C. Berkeley, he reminded his students, "Before beginning any intervention in the land one should ask: "What is here? What will nature allow us to do here? And what will nature help us do here?" .
In addition to his private architectural practice, in 1975, Sim was appointed State Architect during Jerry Brown's initial administration. He and his team designed the Gregory Bateson building, completed in 1981, a state office building that reduced energy consumption by over 80% of conventional office buildings at the time. Sim then launched the nation's first Energy Efficient Office Building Program, featuring passive solar design, natural ventilation, and energy-saving systems to reduce environmental impact.
While Sim's work and ideals were tightly woven into every aspect of his life, he did have other passions, which included a prolific watercolor practice, the visible sweeps of his brush capturing the lights, colors, and shapes of the landscapes he inhabited. He always enjoyed a good party and was an enthusiastic, if not graceful, dancer. He joined a choir and sang spiritedly, if not in tune. Sim embraced life as a fluid journey where there is always the possibility to envision and experience ourselves as part of a larger truth. He expressed this wisdom as far back as 1972, when he wrote: "We are trying to find our way back into the earth family and there are few guides to show the way. But the magic moments will be there when we need them, and those few moments make it all worthwhile"
Sim is survived by his three children, Julia, Micah and Ethan; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.