Early life Simon Herman Van der Rijn was born to a Jewish family in
Groningen, Netherlands, on March 12, 1935. His family soon fled to the United States, leaving the Netherlands on September 1, 1939, as the Nazi
invasion of Poland began. Van der Ryn pursued architecture at the
University of Michigan, graduating at 24 with a B.Arch in 1958. During that year, he moved to California and joined the UC Berkeley faculty, where he taught for 35 years. 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).
Professional projects • State of California, Energy Resources and Conservation and Development Building, Sacramento • State of California, Department of Justice, Office Building #1, Sacramento, 1977-1978 • State of California, State Office Building, Sacramento, 1977-1978 • Green Gulch Zen Center, Muir Beach, California • Real Goods Solar Living Center, Hopland, California, 1996
Teaching career • Assistant Professor, University of California, Berkeley (UCB), 1958-1966 • Associate Professor, University of California, Berkeley, 1966-1970 Van der Ryn had an innovative and unconventional approach to teaching. In his classes, he insisted on creating a more balanced basis among male and female students. He persisted with this principle and created a more equal environment for all with professional aspirations. His vision in architecture was to provide women with the same opportunities as men, accepting equal numbers of men and women as applicants in the early 70s. “Outlaw Builder Studio,” a significant platform for Van der Ryn to demonstrate his new ecological and solar architecture, in which his students could develop building and social skills. Students created, designed, and built to their needs while living outdoors for at least 3 days each week. Later, some of the projects were dismantled because they didn't meet building code requirements. This was met with some scrutiny in his teaching career from his peers and other professionals.
Personal life and death Van der Ryn was married to Mimi Wolfe, with whom he had three children: Julia, Micah, and Ethan. Van der Ryn died from
Alzheimer's disease at a care facility in
Petaluma, California, on October 19, 2024, at the age of 89. ==Awards==